In Time's Eyes
by Velvien
Summary: The final battle draws near, and the persistence of time is called into question. Follow-up to On Strange Wings and At Fate's Hands.
1. The Eye

**A/N: So, finally, here we are. Beginning of the end and all that. Just a few quick notes.**

**1\. I am currently working on revising both On Strange Wings and At Fate's Hands to purge them of their errors. And there might be an extra something in there as well.**

**2\. Recently, I posted an Azrael origin one-shot. I am taking it to be canon as far as this work goes.**

**And as always, just to disclaim: I own nothing related to BlazBlue.**

* * *

A gentle caress, a silky hand on his rough cheek, roused Ragna from his sleep. His eyes shot open, an instinct honed from years of needing to awaken at a moment's notice, but no danger lurked there. Instead, a peaceful smile and a kiss on the nose met him. From beside him, still with his arm wrapped over her waist, Tsubaki grinned down at him and ran her hand over his cheek again. "Hey. Morning."

"Mm…" With something akin to a feline purr, Ragna nuzzled against her hand and drew a giggle. He smirked back and shifted onto his back, giving a ginger pull on her side to ask her to lie atop him. "Early wake-up, huh?"

"Mm, I suppose." Tsubaki clambered over to lay atop him, arms folded on his chest to prop herself up over him and smile straight into his eyes. After leaning in for a brief peck dead on the lips, she said, "A fair number of people are going to be leaving today. You wanted to talk to Jubei first, right?"

"Oh. Right. Got some things I wanna ask him." Eyes alight with mischief, Ragna wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand moving down along the small of her back. "But I dunno, I think there's something I'd rather do right now."

Tsubaki squeaked at the sudden, lecherous grasp, but still found herself laughing. "Of course. Always so irresponsible. But I suppose we're not in any rush here." She returned the shark-like intensity of his smirk as she reached back, grabbed both of his wrists, and pulled them over to pin them behind his head. "Provided we do this my way, that is."

Ragna's eyes widened and his jaw dropped an inch, but before he could comment, she pressed a heavy kiss against his lips. One of her hands arched around to wrap the back of his head and pull him in tighter, trusting him to follow her lead and not fight against the single petite hand holding his wrists in place. He groaned into her mouth and returned the passion, letting her do as she pleased…

And, of course, the door had to open right at that moment. The sudden creak jolted them both, and Tsubaki rolled off of him, cheeks ablaze and staring defensively at who had just entered. Already, Jubei had turned away, pulling the door closed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb ya. I'll just mosey on out n' come back later."

"N-no, it's fine." Tsubaki shook her head, relaxing when she saw who had dared intrude. Beside her, Ragna sat up, still dumbfounded and face bright red. "We actually were hoping to speak to you before you left, and I think now's a fine time for it."

"Ya sure?" Jubei turned back and cocked an eyebrow. "Yer decent, right?"

"Of course we are, master." Finally shaking off the stupor, Ragna stretched and rose, throwing mental curses Jubei's way for interrupting. "Anyways, first, I guess you had something to say to us?"

"Yeah. A warnin' 'bout yer grimoire." Jubei into the room and pulled up a chair. "Course, if ya got more important things to talk about, you can go ahead with 'em."

"Actually, that's exactly what I was going to ask you about anyways." Ragna lifted his right arm and cast a sidelong look at it. "Okay, so this stupid thing absorbs souls, right? What would happen to them if my grimoire was destroyed?"

Tsubaki turned to face him, fast enough for her hair to whip around. "What exactly are you planning, Ragna?"

"Nothing."

"_Bull_."

Holding in a chuckle at Tsubaki's concern, Jubei shook his head. "Sorry, ain't got the foggiest. If I had to guess, the souls would be cast back to the Boundary. Or destroyed entirely. Ya gonna try to destroy it?"

"After I kill Terumi, yeah." Ragna closed his eyes. "It's not my power, right? It's the Black Beast. The Beast we saw in Ishana made it go all berserk and shit. Soon as I take care of everything I need to, I'm getting rid of this thing."

"…Might not be that easy, kiddo. It ain't yer power, yeah, but it's still a part o' ya. Yer not gonna remove it without somethin' strong, n' yer gonna feel it. Not just yer arm; yer eye's linked to it as well. N' I got no idea what else ya might lose." After a long pause, he sighed. "…But I'm 'fraid ya don't got any other choice."

"Huh?" After ceasing her accusatory glare on Ragna, Tsubaki turned to Jubei, shuffling uncomfortably. "What do you mean, Sir Jubei?"

"The Azure ain't stable. I reckon you both were aware o' that, it bein' the Black Beast n' all, but I doubt ya realize how much a threat it is."

"It turns me into something like the Black Beast if I overuse it, right? Terumi made sure to laugh about that back in Kagutsuchi." With a scowl, Ragna shook his head. His gut churned; he had the worst feeling about this. "Or is there something more? Wouldn't doubt it, seeing how much you and Rachel love leaving me in the dark. Cryptic assholes."

"N' ya have my apologies for it; as Rachel said, it's to keep ya from doin' somethin' drastic. But yeah, there's more." Jubei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "If yer gonna deal with Terumi, ya'd better do it quick. Like I said, it ain't stable. What's more, it's become less stable by the day. Rachel must o' alluded to it, but it's a time bomb. You keep it for too long, it'll consume ya. N' I reckon Izanami can trigger it as well."

"…Well, shit." Ragna looked down. "We got any idea where Terumi is? The sooner I can hunt the bastard down, the sooner I can get rid of this shit."

"'Fraid not. He hasn't done anythin' since Ishana. But he's out there, I know it. We'll find 'im." After a few moments of silence, Jubei jumped up to his feet and started for the door. "Well, I reckon that's it, then. Sorry to come bearin' bad news."

"It's fine. Take care, Jubei." As the door closed, Ragna could only stare down at his feet, feeling as though he had taken a cannonball to the gut. A slender hand slipped into his and squeezed, but Ragna couldn't bring himself to look at Tsubaki. "…Tsubaki. Got a favor to ask of you."

Tsubaki gave his hand another squeeze as she nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need of me, Ragna."

"If I become the Black Beast, use your Immortal Breaker thing on me. Don't let it ruin all that we've fought for."

The words stung Tsubaki, and it showed in the wincing close of her eyes, the shudder of her breath, the prolonged tightening of her grip on his hand. But still, she nodded. "I will not let that happen. These won't be your last days, Ragna. I promise you that. We will win this final battle, and be free to be together for all time afterwards." One more squeeze of his hand. "I will do everything in my power to ensure this."

Despite the rankling news Jubei had delivered, Ragna managed to turn and smile at Tsubaki. "…You're goddamn amazing, Tsubaki. You really are. Come on, let's go grab something to eat."

* * *

The scratch of a pen. The rustle of papers. The occasional whispered curse or deep exhalation. These lone sounds haunted the grand office of Belioz Mutsuki, Imperator Librarius. His brow creased and his lips set into a deep frown at the stack of paperwork that remained before him. Soon, the Yayoi family would be removed from the ranks of the Duodecim for their weakness. He would extend his mercy; none from the family would be slain, and they would be allowed to retain nobility. Perhaps even its treasonous heir would be spared. Who would replace them, he didn't know quite yet, although many noble families would undoubtedly vie for the position.

A creak prefaced someone opening the door, and Belioz turned a heated glare up at it. There were only two people impudent enough to enter his quarters in so brazen a manner, and he wanted as little to do with either of them as possible. He sneered at Relius as the puppeteer strode inside, his free hand resting on his weaponized baton. "Clover. For what trifles do you intrude upon my work?"

"Oh, no trifles, I assure you. Merely a matter of utmost importance." Wearing a light smirk, Relius stopped at the desk and bowed low with a flourish, just theatrical enough to leave its sincerity dubious. "I have a task for you. I would carry it out myself, but alas, I have no time for such matters."

"If it does not concern you enough to draw you away from your work, then your plight is as necessary to me as a kazoo is to a string quartet." Belioz cast his glare back down at the paper before him, offering Relius a dismissive wave with the back of his hand. "I, on the other hand, do have truly important matters to attend to, before the threads of my life are severed by your damned mistress. Begone."

"I assure you, Atropos has not yet come to cut you loose." Undeterred, Relius rose from the bow to stand rigid. "I unfortunately do not have capacity at the moment to hunt down and slay the Yayoi prodigy; even now, Ignis is proving a serviceable battery for an experiment. You will see to it that she is slain, and Izayoi is wrested from her grasp. I require such a weapon that bends the very electromagnetic spectrum to its will."

"And sully my hands further? Though I loathe Yayoi, in the few days I have reigned as Imperator, I have seen the pulse of the people. Already we stand on the precipice of civil war; the disdain for Sector Seven a mere distraction before they slung their ire our way. Yayoi is seen as a heroic figure for her efforts in Yabiko; to seek her out and slay her would be to tip the people over the edge. I will not sacrifice a lifetime's worth of work to acquire a weapon for you."

"Is that so?" Relius stroked his chin, the smirk long faded. "Your desire for power trumps your hatred of the Yayoi?"

"Indeed, and by no small measure. Tsubaki is inconsequential in the grand scheme. I had my chance to take her life, and failed to do so. Now, the minuet has finished and only the sonata remains in this damned symphony." Belioz looked up, eyes sparking with rage and conviction. "I have but days to leave my mark upon the world. I will not waste this opportunity by chasing down an insignificant weakling, but rather will ensure that the name Belioz Mutsuki is hallowed into perpetuity, however brief it may be."

To Belioz's surprise, his words only brought a rebirth of Relius's grin—sharp and vicious, draining the color from Belioz's cheeks. A low chuckle echoed from Relius as the scientist shook his head. "How fascinating. And to think I was off the mark with one I took for wholly predictable."

"If I do not have time to slay the Yayoi brat myself, what makes you believe that I have time for your mockery?" As he scratched more lines into the paper, Belioz drew his baton and jabbed it in the direction of the door. "As Imperator Librarius, I demand you leave. If you wish for Yayoi to perish, take her life with your own hands. I have no qualms with you doing so."

"As I said, that is out of the question. She wields the Izayoi and its powerful Immortal Breaker. Though my life may be beyond the reach of most weapons, it is ripe for reaping at Izayoi's edge." Relius stretched out a hand. "Join me, Belioz, and I shall see to it that Izanami's designs for a world of death fall short."

Slowly, Belioz turned his gaze up to the masked man, contemplating. "What do you mean, Clover? What evils are you plotting?"

"No evils, I assure you." With a contemplative hum, Relius closed his eyes and pulled back his hand. "Tell me, Mutsuki. What does perfection mean to you?"

"Perfection? Why do you ask?" No response came, and Belioz sighed and closed his eyes. "Very well. Perfection is a world in which I reign supreme, my benediction pacifying those who would oppose me. A world of peace that sees me as the highest authority, not some sham of leadership held on a leash. What could be greater than that?"

"Hm… quite self-absorbed, but no less than I expected. I asked a foolish question—what is the meaning of perfection—and true to script, received a foolish answer, although one not entirely off-base. Of course, I already have my answer." A low laugh, a harbinger of some madness to come, sounded. "Power. And not just the threat of a looming power. It only has meaning if it is put into action. It defines us. It is our power that allows us to govern the world. All seek it; it is what makes the cogs of this world turn, what drives the actors in this farce. The Grim Reaper, the soul of the Azure's chaos, seeks with all his might to disrupt that power, as is only natural for a soul as rebellious and hate ridden as his."

He wheeled around, back to Belioz, and continued, voice growing more passionate—almost excited. "Perfection is not within the reach of ordinary men. It is no different in any aspect of life. The poor seek riches. The ugly, beauty. We compare ourselves to others and seek to cover our own inadequacies to give ourselves peace of mind. Your dreams, the Grim Reaper's, Yayoi's… all are doomed to fail. We do not live in a world where perfection can be made manifest. But that is no reason not to strive for the peaks of Olympus, the golden halls of Valhalla, the fields of Elysium, in order to snare perfection for mankind."

Belioz, leaned back as far as he could, only offered a wide-eyed stare. "What are you _babbling_ about, you madman?"

Relius seemed not to have heard him. When he turned back around, a full grin plastered across has face and struck dead the remaining color in Belioz's cheeks. "All I seek is to continue our work towards the noble goal of perfection! The power that everyone lusts for! I will spread it over the world with but a touch! A precious mineral from an inexhaustible mine! And so, I shall craft a perfect being, an incarnation of the power we seek, the Alpha of a new creation, and by her hand, reach into the celestial thrones of the gods and tear them down! Only through this can our kind discover perfection; unfettered and without master. This is the world I shall craft. Our world will be forged in accordance my desires."

With a deep breath, Relius closed his eyes, the grin fading as he calmed down. "Perfection will be _mine_. Either the world will convert itself to my way of thinking, or it shall bow before the apotheosis of power. I will have Izayoi, and you will be the one to bring it to me. If you cannot seek Yayoi of your own accord, draw her to you. I expect this to be dealt with in three days, Mutsuki. Pray you find success."

With that, Relius turned and strode away. The door echoed as it slammed shut behind him, leaving Belioz behind, seething. His fist clenched, with a harsh growl, he banged it on his desk. "'Fie, on all mad masters and all foul ways.' Blast you, Clover, you madman. You speak of perfection, but only babble nonsense."

With a sigh, he rose, pondering Relius's words despite his claims of madness. "…But if it is Izanami's death you seek, then so be it, if it means I may survive. I shall pry Izayoi from Yayoi's stony fingers for you."

* * *

"…Well, at least Haku went out with a bang." Kokonoe shivered as a zephyr washed over her. Before her lay the remnants of Take-Mikazuchi, its deceased body melting as some swamp-like ooze over the pinnacle of Ishana. All features of the nightmare—its terrible maw, its crimson eyes, its clawed arms—had decayed beyond all resemblance, sans one. The crystal of its core gleamed even now, defiant of the trench carved into it by Ookami. With a scowl, Kokonoe snapped her fingers. "Tager. Clear a path for me, will ya?"

"Understood." At a trudge, Tager made his way toward the fallen Nox Nyctores, stopping just shy of the muck. He extended a palm, and released a blast of electricity. While the jolt itself did nothing, the accompanying blast of wind sloshed away the sludge, all the way up to the core. As he stepped aside, he lifted a hand in a salute. "If you don't mind me saying, it is an honor to work with you again. My apologies for going AWOL earlier."

"Eh, don't sweat it." Kokonoe made her way closer to Take-Mikazuchi. "The repairs holding up alright? You got kinda scorched. Bad."

"Yes, I am as good as ever." As Tager followed along behind her, he glanced around at the beast. "So, how are you planning on excavating the Unit?"

"Only one way. Going to go into this piece of shit and pull her out like that." As she spoke, she scowled. Nothing worse than relying on her mother's curse for anything, but if that was her only option, tough shit. After pulling out a device, she tossed it over her shoulder to Tager. "Here. In case shit goes wrong while I'm in. Emergency teleportation line in case I can't get back out."

"Roger." With swiftness unbefitting of him, Tager snatched the device out of the air. "Am I to assume that you'll contact me in that situation?"

"No shit, Sherlock." Kokonoe placed both hands on the cracked core, closing her eyes in focus. "Alright, I'm going in. Stand by, Tager."

Magenta light crackled around her hands, and Kokonoe's palms sunk into the solid object. Inch by inch, she vanished inside Take-Mikazuchi. No sooner had she entered than her breath stalled a moment as a tangible volume of seithr buffeted her. No solid ground, no walls were visible—all lay awash in the same bloody hue. Yet her feet rested on something solid—or at least, solid enough to support her weight. "…Okay. This isn't a mindfuck or anything. But shit, this seithr. I'd better hurry the hell up."

Thankfully, her target lay close by, coming into view through the red haze after only a few steps. Nu lay curled up in a fetal ball, shivering with harsh breaths. She turned as Kokonoe approached and gave her a thousand-yard stare, empty and hopeless. As Kokonoe approached, she stalled at the despair written in Nu's gaze. "…Shit, what the hell happened to you? Well, never mind that, I'm getting you out now."

"You… don't…" The rest of Nu's weak words proved too quiet for Kokonoe to hear. The scientist hefted up the girl and turned to speak into her radio. "Hey. Tager. I got her. Get me outta here, now."

* * *

_Miss Vermillion. Arise. We have much to do._

Haunted by a voice in her head, Noel stirred from her bed. After sitting up, panda plushie squeezed in her arms, she blinked, trying to figure out who had exactly had contacted her. Or had it been a dream? No, the voice had been much too clear for that. With a yawn, she rubbed her eyes and rose to her feet. And then it clicked. "Oh… Rachel…"

Noel trudged down the hallway to Rachel's chamber, hoping that she would wake up enough for her training by the time she reached her mentor. She had scarcely gone through half of the corridor before something rushed her down and tackled her, cuddling her with a bushy tail. As Noel cried out in surprise, Makoto laughed. "Come on, Noelly, you gotta wake up. Important day, right? Tsubaki told me about it at breakfast this morning."

"Huh? She did?" Her surprise falling into laughter, Noel returned the embrace before picking herself up. "And I think you managed to shock away my sleepiness. So, thanks, Makoto."

"All according to plan." Makoto snickered as she jumped to her feet and reached into her jacket. "Yeah, she did. Although she made sure not to tell anyone else around. Dunno why, but I guess she has her reasons for not wanting everyone to know you're gonna become Kusanagi again. But anyways, I figured you weren't going to have time to eat, so here." With that, she pulled out a cherry pastry and handed it to her friend.

"Ah! Thanks, Makoto!" Eyes wide and sparkling at the breakfast offered to her, Noel took it and dug in with a large bite. Her steps lifted into a skip as she swallowed. "Ohh, so good…"

"Hey. What're friends for, right?" Makoto chuckled and gave Noel a playful nudge, but turned her eyes downcast after a moment. "…You're… sure this is the right thing to be doing, Noel? I mean, I would've been too traumatized by being the Kusanagi before to ever do it again. You really are doing this because you want to, right? Not because Ragna or Rachel or someone bullied you into it?"

After another bite of the pastry, Noel sighed. "…I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. But I was the one that suggested it, and I really want to help against Izanami, so… I'm going to do it. I'm not going to be too weak to do anything anymore."

Makoto walked along in silence several more paces before nodding. "Alright. I'll trust you on this, Noel. But just for the record… I've never thought of you as weak. Not once. Now, go forth and become the best Kusanagi you can!"

After scarfing down the remainder of her pastry, Noel burst into giggles and hugged Makoto around the side. "I will! And… thanks again, Makoto."

The skip still in her step, Noel turned and ascended the stairs to Rachel's bedchamber. As she reached the door, she slowed to a halt and knocked twice. "Miss Rachel? You wanted to see me?"

"Indeed." A gust of wind blew and pushed the door open for Noel. Rachel sat tall in a chair, stiff as could be. "Come in, Miss Vermillion. We must begin your training. Posthaste."

"Alright." Noel shut the door behind her and plopped down on a chair across from Rachel. "Um, are you sure we should be doing this kind of training inside? It seems… destructive. And how long's it going to take for me to learn?"

"We shall move outside once you are capable of utilizing Kusanagi's power, lest it tear apart my mansion." Rachel closed her eyes and picked up a teacup from where Nago sat beside her, shape-shifted into a table. She took a sip and cringed. "As for the matter of time, it would be advisable to learn slowly. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be an option available to us. Izanami is no doubt near the final stages of her plans, and there is also Terumi, hanging overhead like a sword of Damocles, to be wary of. It is unfortunate, but in the threat of two deific beings, we must expedite the process as much as you can bear to do so."

"…Deific?" Noel blinked. "You mean, like, godly? Is Terumi really that strong?"

"Indeed. He has come closer to all but Izanami to godhood, although that loathsome Relius Clover has nigh transcended his own mortality as well. But that is irrelevant." Rachel set the teacup back down, and rose to approach Noel. "As the Eye of the Azure, you have the ability to decide the truths of this world. An ability you have underutilized to this point, but perhaps that is for the best. Allow me to aid in your visualization of Mu-12, the Kusanagi."

"Huh? What do you…?" Before Noel could finish, Rachel placed a hand on her head. A flood of images pierced into Noel's mind—her, armored, swords floating behind as she descended from the Altar—Hakumen standing his ground before her, sunk to his knees—Tsubaki striking with Izayoi, only for her to be blown back by Kusanagi's power—Ragna taking a laser through his chest, yet reaching out to grab her forehead despite everything—and she let out a scream, clutching her head in pain. When Noel opened her eyes, she found herself down on all fours, panting and sweating. "Wha… what was that…?"

"The memories of Kusanagi, fogged by Ragna's poor attempt at reversing your smelting. While he succeeded in reverting you to being Noel Vermillion, he failed to remove Kusanagi's taint from you in full. Indeed, it is fortunate that the mutt can be so incompetent." With a smile, Rachel extended her hand down to Noel. "Rise, Miss Vermillion. With those memories restored to you, you should have an easier time visualizing and making Kusanagi a truth once more."

"Al… alright…" Head throbbing and heart pounding, Noel accepted the hand and slumped back into her chair. "So… just focus on making myself Kusanagi…?"

"Hmm… not quite. While you are the anchor for Kusanagi, if you wish to be at your strongest, you must cut all the ties that form Noel Vermillion from your mind." As Rachel took a seat, she feigned a sip of the tea. "Your parents. Your friends. Your loves. Forget all your ties, so that Kusanagi may materialize at her strongest."

"E-eh?" Noel blinked, pale. "Wait, I have to give up everyone for this? Makoto, Tsubaki, Ragna…?"

"It is but a temporary voiding of your mind. A meditation, if you will. But Kusanagi is an existence of bitterness and misery; cutting off all you cherish when you wish to become her will yield the strongest results. Once you have done so, visualize yourself becoming Mu… and allow the Azure to make it a truth."

"…Alright. I understand. As long as it's temporary…" Noel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Every tie she had, she imagined just slipping away into oblivion…

* * *

A tray in hand, Valkenhayn paused at the door to the room Ragna and Tsubaki. After rapping out three even knocks, he waited, still as stone. To his relief, Tsubaki answered the door in prompt time, fully clothed. As the door opened, Valkenhayn bowed low and extended the tray to her. "Pardon my interruption, Miss Yayoi, but Madam Rachel requested I bring this to the two of you. Please, enjoy."

"Oh! Please give her our thanks." Smiling, Tsubaki peeked under the cloth covering whatever Valkenhayn had brought. Her eyes sparkled; chocolate. Before Valkenhayn could leave, however, she turned back to him. "Um, Sir Valkenhayn? Would it be alright if I asked a favor of you?"

"Why, certainly. Although I cannot guarantee that I can fulfill your wishes. After all, my duty is to Madam Rachel, first and foremost." Valkenhayn bowed low again. "Whatever can I do for you, Miss Yayoi?"

"I'm… worried. About my family, since the new Imperator holds great disdain for us, and has been trying to have us removed for some time now." Tsubaki chewed her bottom lip. "Would it be possible for you to ensure their safety?"

"But of course. I shall leave posthaste." Valkenhayn raised his head to look past her. "And will your… consort ask anything of me?"

"Huh?" From where he lay on the bed, arms crossed behind his head, Ragna sat up and cocked an eyebrow. "You'd actually do something I asked? And Rachel actually sent something nice? Is there something in the water here? But, uh… nah, don't need anything right now. Thanks, though."

"…It would seem that Miss Yayoi's manners have rubbed off on you somewhat. But very well." Valkenhayn bowed one last time and turned away. "I shall be on my way."

* * *

"Luna's hungry. Where are we going again, freakshow?"

Platinum hunched over as she followed Amane, Carl at her side. Towers of gilded metal rose in the distance, but this far out from the center of Iwatsuchi, all that surrounded them were earthen buildings, misshapen and drab. In contrast to his companions, Amane all but strutted along the thoroughfare, a hum in his throat. "Who knows~?"

With a sigh, Carl lowered his head. Why was this man so impossible? So few of Amane's actions and decisions made any sense to the boy. "If you don't know, then we can please stop and make plans? Sis says we don't have time to wander aimlessly."

"Yeah! And get some grub!" A moment after Platinum piped up, standing straight to best glare at Amane, she slumped over again, heat fading from her eyes. Sena's voice followed. "Yes, please. We haven't eaten since coming here."

"Oh, but of course. I don't want you to suffer, my dears." Amane looked around. Three food stands waited just in front of them. Instead, however, he swept a robed arm and headed down an alley to his right. "But I can't have you eating such unhealthy food as that. Come, let's find a proper restaurant."

The kids grumbled and whined, but still followed him off of the main street, wondering why they even listened to him at this point. As they passed by a bench, a man seated on it rubbed his chin, eyes on Amane. He stood up and ran a hand through his dark hair, leaning on his giant slab of metal. "Well, hey there. Haven't seen you in these parts before. What do you say we go grab a coffee and head to my place, gorgeous?"

"Oh my, but I'm flattered." Smirking, Amane turned and bowed to Kagura, whose face paled and jaw dropped as he realized his error. "Unfortunately, I must say you're not _quite_ my type. Lighten your hair a few shades and we'll talk."

"Ah… um…" After shaking off his shock, Kagura offered a warm smile to Amane and returned the light bow. "Sorry about that. I thought—"

Platinum extended a hand to the side, and her staff materialized in her grasp. "Yeah, we know, you pervert. Luna should kick your ass for that shit."

Kagura blinked at her once, before turning back to Amane and jabbing a finger in Platinum's direction. "Does she always talk like that?"

"Ah, yes, Miss Luna is quite lively, is she not?" Amane straightened up. "I apologize for her brusque manners. I am Amane Nishiki, traveling dance extraordinaire. Perhaps I may interest you in my services, Mister…?"

"Mutsuki. Name's Kagura." Kagura grinned and extended a hand to Amane. "And sure. Last week's been stressful as hell."

"Wait… Mutsuki?" Platinum stomped over to Kagura, lip twisted in a scowl. "You mean, _the_ Mutsuki family?"

"Yep." Kagura grinned down at her. "You're speaking to the current Mutsuki family head."

"…Okay, I'm not even gonna ask why a Duodecim head is in a back alley trying to pick up chicks, but…" With a yell, Platinum adjusted her grip on her staff and swung it straight into Kagura's gut. "Luna's gonna kick your ass, you Library bastard!"

* * *

Jin stood in the center of Rachel's garden, hand on Yukianesa's hilt. Ice crystals grew on the rosebushes as he tightened his grip, a scowl contorting his face. He had been given a chance in Ishana—Ragna and Terumi, both in his grasp. And he had failed to eliminate either. Terumi still existed to torment, and his brother still existed in torment. He had the power to do away with both of them—the same power that drove him towards this goal. So why was he just standing here, doing nothing? Even if Terumi was currently out of his grasp, Ragna was…

"Hey. Jin." Speak of the devil. Ragna approached him from behind, but Jin made no move except to smirk. "You gonna just brood here all day?"

"What does it matter to you, brother? Unless you're here for a fight; I'd be happy to put you out of your misery." Jin laughed. No matter what anyone else said, he was the only one that could end Ragna's suffering. And with just slightest excuse, he would. Yukianesa compelled him to turn around and strike down his brethren… but for now, he waited. "What do you want? I doubt you're here to chat."

"Well, first, I'll pass on the fight to the death, thanks. Already had enough of those recently." Ragna sighed and closed his eyes. "And you're right, I'm not here to chat. Tsubaki wants to, though; I think she's just nervous about approaching you at the moment. Did I ever give you an asskicking for attacking her?"

"Hm. I should have figured. Very well; I suppose I…" A chill tingled down Jin's neck, and his eyes burst open. His power, order incarnate, commanded him to attack his brother, a disruptor of order. But a second beacon called to him as well from somewhere within the mansion. Jin whipped around and brushed past Ragna. "It will have to wait."

"Wait, what?" Stunned for a second, Ragna turned to watch his brother's retreating form. "Just where the hell are you going?"

"To Rachel. Terumi is already here."


	2. Discretion

**A/N: Okay, yeah, I'm still alive here. Apologies for the complete lack of updates for about half a year; been very busy with college. And Xenoblade, damn you addicting games...  
**

**But more importantly: both On Strange Wings and At Fate's Hands have been slightly revised. Mechanical and continuity errors removed, a couple short scenes added to OSW, and a pretty damn bad plothole involving Amaterasu fixed.**

**Finally, I should mention that I've redone my plans for this a bit, and there will be a few characters from side materials showing up (even if I dislike most BB side materials). And one more... semi-OC; I'm not sure how else to describe her.**

* * *

The world was but an empty void, and then she dreamt. Like picture to paper, her memories inundated a world, but not her own. For eternity, the uncertain void still stretched out around her as she slumbered. She was Time. She was Existence.

Could nobody tell her how her story was to end?

* * *

Pain. It throbbed with every heartbeat, billowed with every breath. A haze of red clouded Gesshoku's vision as he flattened against the wall of his bedchamber. Whatever power that had held him now faded, and the memory of what he had been driven to do under its thrall threatened to drag him to his knees in despair. His own hands had lifted to threaten his only daughter and try to take her life. Every word he had uttered to her haunted him, and at last he collapsed to the ground, fists closed white-knuckle. What was the Librarium doing, that they would commandeer his body to kill Tsubaki? Hazama and that phantom… Maybe there was justifiable reason, after all, for Tsubaki's treachery, beyond whatever allure Ragna held for her.

With a growl, he wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, the gloves coming back damp. He couldn't just stay here; not with Tsubaki—and likely much more—in danger. Though fatigue weighted his entire body like an anchor, he forced himself to stand. The Duodecim would never stand for something like this; if he could just call them to assembly…

Before Gesshoku had even taken his first step, he stiffened. The door to his room opened, and a tall man stepped through, hair greyed and drawn back into a ponytail. Gesshoku's hand found his lance, resting against the wall, but this impudent intruder merely bowed low. "There is no need; I mean you no harm, Gesshoku Yayoi. I am Valkenhayn, servant to the illustrious house of Alucard, and I come at your daughter's behest."

"Tsubaki sent you?" At once, energy flooded Gesshoku's body, and he darted forward to clasp Valkenhayn on the shoulders. "Please, tell me, is she alright?"

"Indeed she is. But we have more important matters to discuss for now." Valkenhayn straightened up and took a step back, sliding Gesshoku's hands away. "As I am sure you are aware, Belioz Mutsuki has ascended to the rank of Imperator. Your daughter fears for the safety of her family in light of such an ascension."

"…Mutsuki is Imperator?" Fear churned Gesshoku's gut, and he grimaced as he looked away. "…Valkenhayn, you said?"

"Indeed."

"I am aware of your feats, although it is quite the surprise to find another of the Six Heroes still alive." In spite of his pain and fear, Gesshoku couldn't hide a smile. "And I cannot say it is surprising that Tsubaki would turn to you for aid. But you said that you are a servant to…?"

"Rachel Alucard. I assure you, I have received her blessing on this matter; she was somewhat reluctant, but concluded that she could get by with other servants in the meantime."

"I see. Very well." Gesshoku turned back to Valkenhayn and bowed his head. "Thank you for your aid, then, Valkenhayn. Do you have a plan?"

"Indeed, but only by your consent. We evacuate the manor before Belioz can make his strike against your family."

* * *

"It is settled, then?" From the highest perch of the Duodecim's round table, Belioz folded his fingers together in anticipation. All according to plan; these noblemen were as predictable as ever. His eyes first turned to the empty seat directly across from him; Kagura's absence didn't matter in the long run. And… "Although I assume Lord Kisaragi has objections?" Not that this mattered either; there was only one real purpose to testing the Kisaragi family one last time."

"Vehement opposition towards the massacre of the Yayoi family, as you well know." Grey mustached and bristle-haired, the Kisaragi family head spoke with a fire entirely absent from his body. He all but slumped back, head only raised enough to look Belioz in the eye; the look of a defeated man. "Neither I, nor any of the Kisaragi family, will aid you. However… nor will we raise our swords against you. Not when the NOL hangs on so precarious a balance."

"Very well; that is acceptable. No punishment shall come to you, as long as you do not interfere." Belioz closed his eyes. A mere week ago, he would have been eager to do this on his own. But now, with such powers as Izanami in play, such a thing did not sit well with him. Relius had better be intent on keeping his word. "Then we leave for Naobi, before anyone can alert the Yayois."

* * *

"Whoa, wait!" Kagura lifted his hands before him as Platinum bore down on him. "Look, I've got nothing against—"

"Shove it! Luna's not interested!" With a cry, Luna swung her staff around. It met Kagura's man-sized sword, and vibrations shook through its steel, through her staff, and into her arms. Wincing, she stepped back away from him. "Ow-ow-ow… dammit, that hurt…"

"Luna, please." Shaking his head, Carl stepped over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Even if he's from the Library, shouldn't we at least let him speak?"

"No."

"Ah… hm. Yes, Luna does raise a good point." With a smirk that did nothing to hide the planning of mischief, Amane strode closer to Kagura. "After all, we are rather opposed to the Librarium. Or… parts of it, I suppose. And as a Librarium official, is it not your duty to defeat us and bring us in for questioning, my dear? In case there is important information to glean from doing so?"

Luna blinked, going limp and letting her staff clang against the ground. "Uh. Freakshow, what are you planning?"

"Ah, yes, I suppose you're right." Kagura returned the smirk as he hefted his blade. He didn't quite get why this dancer was going this route, but… "So yeah. How about we do this, then?"

With a low chuckle, Amane set his ribbons in motion, dancing like snakes in the air. "Yes, please… why don't you let me be tonight's entertainment?"

"Um. What's…?" Blinking in utter confusion, Platinum looked back and forth between the men. "Wait, what the hell are you getting us into?!"

"Every part of the dance must be performed properly. This is ensuring that, nothing more." And without further ado, Amane swung a swath of silk at Kagura. The cloth morphed into a heavy ball at its end, and it crashed against the fortress of a sword. With no delay, Amane spun forward, and the ribbon spun itself into a drill. After snaking around Kagura's defense, the weapon lanced down at him from above. Just as Amane expected, Kagura leapt back to avoid the drill. Once more, the ribbon straightened out and formed a noose around Kagura's feet before pulling him forward with a hard thud onto his back. "Oh my. I was hoping for a better show."

"Gah…" Grimacing, Kagura pulled himself back up. He had hardly expected such resistance from someone intent on just surrendering. "Well. Gotta say, you surprised me." With a grunt, Kagura swung his sword in a crescent before him. The heavy blade collided with a net of ribbons and stopped dead. Although he had to hold in a curse, unable to believe that mere fabric could stop his sword cold, Kagura pressed on. Sword pointed straight forward, he rode through a dragon-shaped aura into Amane, before leaping into the air crash his blade down from above.

Amane caught all with his crisscross of ribbons, standing tall without so much as a flinch. As Kagura reached out to grab him by the collar, he sped away through the air, lashing out with a mace of silk again. The attack struck Kagura in the chest and bowled him over. "Oh my. That is some technique, to handle such a weapon so well, my dear. But… ah, how do I say it? You have no weight behind your attacks."

"And what does that mean?" Staggered and wincing, Kagura glared up at Amane. He should have expected this agility from a dancer. But this power? This technique? Just who was Amane? "I guess I'll just have to put more into them. Nothing wrong with showing off for the lady, after all. Dragon's Inferno!"

Sword in a reverse-grip, Kagura slashed upwards, the corner of his blade scraping the ground. From the sparks arose a roving wave of purple flames rolling toward Amane. Amane just shook his head and spun back. A row of ribbon drills jutted from the ground and clashed with the moving inferno. As the attacks destroyed each other, leaving but embers behind, Amane sighed. "No, I'm afraid that merely swinging harder isn't going to help. We're the same, though. So maybe I can't talk that much. But by all means, keep trying. You might be able to scratch me~"

As he straightened up, Kagura just looked at the ground. "No, I think I know what you mean. So how about we just put an end to this farce?" He extended his free hand to the side, and a purple maelstrom spun in his palm for a moment before rolling forward through the air.

"Sounds good to me." And with a gleeful leap forward, Amane crashed straight into the ball of darkness. As he fell to his knees, he put on the best impression of pain he could. "Oh… how could this be, that I lose to one like this? Oh, the shame!"

Panting, Kagura released his clasp on his sword. "Right. Well, I guess I should go ahead and bring you three in, then. We have a lot to talk about."

"Hell. No." Platinum stepped back, staff once more in hand. "I'm not going anywhere without a fight. And unlike dumbass here, Luna's not throwing any fights. I'll kick your ass, you geezer."

"No, I think it's fine." And at once, Amane was on his feet again, unmarred by the fight. "Somehow, I get the feeling that you two will be important."

"Yeah. This guy's the only one I'm arresting, but you two are welcome to come." With a smirk, Kagura winked at Platinum. "And in a few years, I'll always have time to make for you visiting."

"Oh god, Luna's gonna hurl. That's just…" Platinum trailed off as, with a shrug, Carl ambled over to Amane's side. "Wait… but… why are…?"

Her scream of frustration echoed through downtown Iwatsuchi.

* * *

Boredom. Wretched, painful, boredom. All Bullet could do was pace the halls of Rachel's manor, unable to vent her anger at anything. Kokonoe, that bitch… she was close, but for now out of Bullet's reach. The scientist had all but dismissed Bullet; she would soon learn the full rage of Bullet's wrath. Azrael was gone, and there seemed to be no way out of this mansion or its grounds.

With a snarl, she turned and punched a wall. What the hell was she doing here, wasting her time? There was so much she needed to do, and none of it to be done within these walls. Azrael and Relius; both would perish by her hand, immortality be damned. Heat flared up in her Armagus…

"I don't think Rachel will take well to you abusing her mansion." A deep voice sounded, shadowed by audible footsteps. Tager approached her, slow in case she struck him next; Kokonoe had warned him about Bullet's vendetta against the remnants of Sector Seven. "If you need to vent your frustration—"

"You! Iron… Devil… or whatever." A vortex of orange flames swirled within Bullet's weapon. "Stay away from me, or I'll destroy you."

"That's… Red Devil…" Shaking his head, Tager turned to step away. "But if you don't want me around, I'll go."

Before he could leave, however, Bullet growled. Something about seeing this cyborg body lit a thirst for answers within her. "Hey. You work for Kokonoe right? Why her, of all people?"

Tager stopped, but didn't turn around. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I don't get it, obviously. Look at what she turned you into. A machine. A devil. Just… doing whatever she wants." Baring her teeth in a growl, Bullet clenched her fists. "Why would you do that, when you know better than anyone else what she's like?"

To Bullet's surprise, a chuckle rumbled out of Tager, and he turned around. "Someone else asked me that not too long ago. I follow Kokonoe because I wouldn't be here if not for her… and because I trust her to come through, even if she missteps."

"…Tch. Softer than I thought you'd be. Well, whatever." She knew that she should just leave it at this. It was crazy to trust someone like Kokonoe like that, and she should just dismiss him as such. But a single answer did not quench the burn of curiosity. "So what happened to you? Blown to hell in Ikaruga? That's when you first became known."

"Yes, that's right. According to Kokonoe, I was part of a mercenary group before I became this. I remember nothing of my time before my reconstruction, but I had been on an important mission when something went awry. Why do you ask? Why I joined Sector Seven should make little difference to you; I am just an obstacle to you."

A mercenary… No, dammit, there was no way in hell he could have been part of her group. Shaking her head, Bullet relaxed, fists releasing and the Armagus's fire dying. "You're only an obstacle if you stand in my way. Relius Clover. Kokonoe. Azrael. They're the ones I'm after. Don't even think about stopping me."

A retort came to mind—Kokonoe likely wouldn't need any help against someone like Bullet—but Tager had no trouble biting it down. "I see. And yet, you're making no move against Kokonoe, even in her weakened state."

"Gah, don't remind me. If it weren't for that shit with Izanami, I'd have blasted her head off already. It's torture not being able to kill her right now, but I'd rather suffer this than let Izanami kill us all." Bullet twisted her lips to the side and spat. "But that's enough bullshit. Don't you gotta get back to Kokonoe's side? I'm sure she's looking for a reason to slavedrive you."

"Yes, I do. She's working on making sure Nu survives." Tager turned his back to Bullet once more. "I will take my leave, then."

"Fine with me." Once the Red Devil had left, Bullet closed her eyes and scowled. Goddammit, why had she been so curious about him? He was a Sector Seven operant. Her enemy.

Maybe this damn mansion had driven her insane already.

* * *

Seated on a wooden chair, Linhua rested her chin and arms on a newly dusted table. Even under Jubei's tutoring, she hadn't progressed enough to hold her own in combat. And so, while battles raged, she cooped up in the old Kagutsuchi clinic. Would Litchi ever return? If not, then Linhua needed to move on. A new teacher, whether it be for being a doctor or for fighting to bring her old friend back. How had it all ended up like this…?

Just as Linhua buried her face in her arms, the creak of the door made her perk up. She took in a deep breath to center herself, fingers folding into a fist. If this was an intruder… But then she heard the voices, and her breath stalled. Drops of tears stung the corners of her eyes, and she bolted toward the entrance. The moment Litchi's familiar form came around the corner, Linhua pulled her into a suffocating embrace. "Doctor! You're…"

"Ah! Linhua…" Breaking into her own wide smile, Litchi bent down and returned the embrace. "I'm so glad you're alright, after everything that happened… How could I ever make any of this up to you?"

"Litchi, please. Don't worry about any of that. It's fine. Everything's going to be fine now." Linhua stepped back and loosened her hold around her mentor. And then the stench from the doorway hit her, and with a wrinkled nose, she looked past Litchi. Bang and a hooded man she had never seen before carried a large container, able to slip through the doorway by millimeters. "Mister Bang… did you help save Miss Litchi?"

"Indeed. But it would have been impossible were it not for Litchi's burning spirit. She did more than I ever could have." In spite of the immense weight of the container, few beads of sweat trickled down Bang's forehead. "Miss Litchi, where should we place this abomin… I mean, Arakune?"

Granting Linhua full release, Litchi gestured to Bang and Tenshin to follow her. "Oh, please, this way. Linhua, can you get the door to the storeroom for me, please? And thank you very much for keeping this place in good shape, by the way."

"Oh, of course!" Linhua raced ahead and pulled a heavy metal door open, eyes on the container. "A… Arakune's in there?"

"Yes. The doctor harbors some foolish belief she can save him." Mask off for the moment, Tenshin exhibited his derision through a scowl carved into his stone face. "I just pray you do not allow this creature to escape."

"Mark my words, Lord Tenshin. I shall ensure Arakune never again threatens the streets of Kagutsuchi, even if Miss Litchi's honorable effort shall fail." Shivering in the coldness of the storeroom, Bang lowered the prison to the ground. With a tug, he removed the black fabric covering it and revealed the writhing creature within. "Very well. Tenshin and I must attend to our people; it has been so long since we saw them. But before we go…"

Bang unstrapped the nail from his back and set it down, not noticing Tenshin's snarl. "Please, Miss Litchi. Hold onto Rettenjou, in case it will prove useful to your research. And should you need my assistance, I will be in Ronin-Gai, as always."

"Thank you very much, Bang. And you too, Lord Tenshin." Placing a hand on Rettenjou's tip, Litchi smiled and bowed her head. "Please, take care."

"But of course. Farewell for now, Miss Litchi."

* * *

"You are certain? Terumi lurks within this mansion, even now?"

As Rachel took a sip of tea, Jin scowled. At either side of him, Tsubaki and Noel stared white-faced. "Yes. I can feel his presence. It's not as strong as it was before, but there is no doubt. Terumi is here."

"But, um…" Noel raised a hand, praying to herself that her hunch was right. "You said that he's… in a spirit form, right? Would he even be able to do anything to us like that?"

"Terumi requires a host to affect the material world; that much is true. However, we cannot ignore the possibility that he has already possessed one in our midst." Rachel set her cup down on a tray held by Gii and snapped her fingers, ordering him away. "Mister Hero. Are you able to pinpoint Terumi's location at the moment?"

"Tch. If I could, I would have dealt with him myself instead of coming to you." Jin scowled, icy eyes falling on Ragna. "It came suddenly, when I was… speaking to Ragna."

"Oh?" Rachel's gaze also turned Ragna's way. "Is that so?"

With a growl, Tsubaki shifted closer to Ragna, a hand gripping his wrist. "If you are implying anything, stop. I assure you, there is no way Ragna would allow himself to be possessed by Terumi."

Ragna snorted. "Damn right I wouldn't."

"I was not implying anything of the sort about my brother. I am the only one that can kill him; Terumi will not play a role in that." With a huff, Jin stood up and turned away. "That's all I have to report. Get back to training Noel, vampire."

"Very well. Unfortunately, given our current knowledge, we lack the means to combat Terumi. Please, do inform me if you learn anything else." Rachel rose as well, a hand extended toward the door. "Ragna, Miss Yayoi, please take your leave as well. There is much I must do with Miss Vermillion."

"Of course. Thank you, Miss Alucard." Smiling, Tsubaki pulled Ragna up by the hand and led him out, giving Noel a wave goodbye as she left.

The couple walked in silence, but as they passed by Jin, a voice whispered in Ragna's ear, audible only to him. "Midnight. Rose garden. We're settling this."

Ragna's face stiffened, but he made no other response. Tonight? All right then. Time to shut this little punk up for good.

* * *

Gesshoku scowled as he watched family members, one by one, trail into the portal that Valkenhayn had created. "You are certain they will be safe where you bring them?"

"Indeed. My lady's mansion is the safest sanctuary possible." As the last red-haired child stepped through, Valkenhayn closed the portal and gave a short bow. "I assume there are more to evacuate?"

"Yes. The elderly, on the highest floor. Let us…" As he looked outside through a window, Gesshoku trailed off and blanched. Ten rows of Librarium troops marched toward the Yayoi manor, led by a loathsome figure—the Imperator himself had come to exterminate the weakest of the Duodecim families. And no doubt that those marching behind him were the elite members of the Duodecim. He snarled and wheeled around toward Valkenhayn. "We don't have time; the Imperator is on our doorstep. Bring the rest of my family to safety; I will hold Mutsuki off."

As Gesshoku raced off toward the entrance, Valkenhayn followed. "Wait, Sir Yayoi. Allow me to join you in battle; Belioz Mutsuki will regret—"

"No. I appreciate the offer, but my family must be brought to safety first." As Gesshoku made his way down stairs, he gripped his lance tight. "Once you have brought all to your mistress's castle, you may join my battle. Until then, I shall give you all the time I can."

Trailing to a stop, Valkenhayn scowled. He didn't like this one bit; one man couldn't stand before an army like this. But what choice did he have? He had been tasked by Tsubaki with protecting her family, after all. "Very well. I shall be at your side posthaste. Do not allow Mutsuki to best you."

"My thanks, Hellsing. Godspeed."

It took two minutes for Gesshoku to race all the way down to the entrance of the manor. By the time he stepped outside, the advancing force had broken down the gate and now tread through the gardens. Lance brought to bear, Gesshoku strode forward to meet them. "Imperator Mutsuki, you scoundrel. I should have known that your first act in your new position would be this attempt at abhorrent slaughter. But you are too late; my family is already evacuating to safety. You will not have our blood today."

"Ah, Gesshoku. How valiant to stand like this, one man against the Imperator and his personal guard." Belioz raised a hand to halt his men before stepping forward, sliding his baton out of his pocket. "Men, scour the area for any trace of the Yayoi family. I shall have this man's head myself."

Once the murmuring crowd had scattered, Belioz closed in more. "But the reasons I do this are beyond what you may believe. There are forces at work you could never comprehend, and even the Imperator is but a slave to them. Even background noise such as yourself has a role to fill—the sacrificial lamb, whose life I will take to ensure future prosperity. This is naught to do with weakness or your family anymore."

"A reign whose bricks are of blood is cursed; a horrible judgment shall befall you for this, Mutsuki." A ball of light flickered into existence above Gesshoku's head. "I do not care why you are doing this. You are threat to me and my family, and for their sake, I shall see you slain today. Come, Mutsuki."


	3. On a Razor's Edge

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, I know I'm taking forever with these. Hoping to get some other fics updated in the near future here.**

* * *

Alpha.

She was the clarion to call in a new era. The first of her kind to succeed. The first to ascend beyond her limits.

Perfection.

The Master Unit's divine blessing made her so. And her creators cursed her for it. The blade of betrayal sealed her for all eternity.

Destroyer.

Still she waits. Still she dreams. And she will awaken again, a storm of vengeance to purge those who cast her into such a fate.

* * *

Relius stared up at the monolith before him. The Nemesis Horizon, the cave within which the Master Unit slumbered. Amaterasu, and his dream of perfection. Known only to him, the confines of the tower's Cauldron churned; it broke down, crafted, and dissolved again. And once it finished, not even Izanami would stand before him.

* * *

Loading. Loading. Loading. Reboot complete.

With a murmur, Nu opened her eye and stared straight up. And did not move beyond that. Only one memory burned—her being nothing but a plaything for that woman that wore her face. She was just a creation, after all; a tool to an end. The Imperator using her as little more than a sword was proof enough of that. She remembered every detail of her time under the Imperator's thrall, saw the ensuing battle from Take-Mikazuchi's eyes. This was all she was meant to be. All she would ever be. She would just have to accept this.

The door to her room—only now did she even realize that she was indoors, in unfamiliar territory—opened, but she didn't look at whoever just entered. Did it really matter? The thumping of footsteps approached her, and a devilish crimson face stared down at her from above. "So you're awake."

"Affirmative." The only motion was the rise and fall of Nu's chest. Though she faced Tager, her eye was empty, as good as unseeing. "Systems functioning to standard. No errors detected."

"I see. Still, Kokonoe asked me to run some diagnostics on you." Tager took a seat beside her, the all-too-small chair creaking from the elephantine weight. After grabbing a small device with a jaw akin to a staple remover, he lifted her limp wrist from below. "Do you mind if I perform this?"

"Proceed." Nu winced as the teeth of the device snapped into her finger, but didn't react beyond that. "Query. Why does Kokonoe want to run diagnostics on me?"

"Hm?" Tager didn't look up from the machine in his palm, watching the data it received. "To check on your wellbeing, of course."

"Unnecessary procedures should not be performed. Unit is an artificial shell with limited autonomy. Unit will request you desist, but merely wishes to express the pointlessness of such actions."

Tager stared down at her in silence for several breaths; the data suddenly felt inconsequential. Finally, with a sigh, he looked down at the machine again. "Don't say such things. I'm little different myself at this point."

"Scanning… confirmed. Unit Iron Tager is an artificial construct." As she stared into the yellow lenses looming overhead, Nu clenched her free hand, her fingernails biting into her palm. "But we're not the same. Nu is just an extension of Izanami's will. I'm a threat to everyone. If Izanami wants Nu to do something…"

"Then we won't let her." Tager snapped a look back to her, silencing her with the sudden fire. "We're not going to just give up on you. Ragna wouldn't let us, anyways."

"Ragna…" Calming down, Nu closed her eyes. For several long moments, no movement or sound came from her; just the rise and fall of her breast. With a choked squeak, she curled up, a fetal ball except for the finger stuck in the jaws of the machine. Teardrops dripped hard against the bed. "…he has to hate me now…"

Through the ajar door swept Tsubaki; smooth, silent and graceful. As she moved close to sit on the edge of the bed, she smiled down at Nu. "No. I know he doesn't. We're both eternally grateful for everything you've done; we wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. And… it's a pleasure to finally meet you at last."

"You're…" Nu blinked, trying to place a name to the face smiling down at her. There was only one person this could be, the face resonating from within a deathly veil in her memory. "…Tsubaki…" A fiery thought burned through Nu's mind, unbidden; how had this woman stolen _her_ Ragna so easily? But then Tsubaki's palm fell on her shoulder, and the envy dissipated. It's not like she ever actually had claim to Ragna, anyways.

"Yes, that's right. I'm Tsubaki Yayoi. Please, Nu. Keep your head up; we'll find a way to help you. After all that you've…" The shuffle of footsteps cut Tsubaki off, and she turned towards Rachel peeking through the door. "Yes, Miss Alucard?"

"Miss Yayoi. I would like to inform you that members of your extended family have begun entering the manor via Valkenhayn. If you would like to meet them, please, follow me." With that, Rachel turned around and strode off.

"Ah…" With a sigh, Tsubaki rose and offered Nu one last smile. "My apologies; I wish I could talk with you some more, but… well, you heard what Rachel said. I'll see you around, Nu."

"Mm, Nu understands. Nu's looking forward to talking to you more." And for the first time since awakening, Nu smiled. As she relaxed, the machine on her finger gave a beep, and the jaws pulled away from her finger. "Diagnostics complete?"

"Yes. You're all clear." Chair creaking underneath him, Tager stood and turned to follow Tsubaki. Nu at least seemed in better spirits, but the crushing depression holding her in its thrall could not possibly be gone just like that. "Thank you for cooperating. I'll return with Kokonoe later."

* * *

"See me slain? I cannot allow that, Yayoi." With a flick of his baton, Belioz summoned a row of clear crystals, sharpened to spikes, to tear up the earth after Gesshoku. The Yayoi patriarch's lance speared forward, and with a surge of light, shattered the quartz before it could shred him. Grunting, Belioz stopped back, chunks of stone rising to the end of his wand to form his whip.

"Be silent." Gesshoku slashed, and a wave of light cascaded after Belioz. As Belioz ducked under the blade, Gesshoku closed his eyes and focused. A beam of light descended upon him from above, and in the blink of the eye, he vanished, only to reappear several meters closer with an arcing swing of his lance. The blunt polearm clubbed Belioz in the side and lifted him off the ground.

His foe flying through the air like a rag doll, Gesshoku pulled his lance back, pointed forward at shoulder level. The ball of light over him exploded into a multitude of stars, which shot through the sky after Belioz. The stars peppered him like a machine gun burst, convulsing his body until he flopped hard into the garden. As the orb overhead glowed again to imbue him with power, Gesshoku lowered his lance with a snarl. "Imperator or not, Mutsuki, I will have your head to preserve my family."

"Gah…" Bleeding through rips in his suit, Belioz dragged himself back up to his feet. Hunched forward, he still grinned as blood ran down his cheek. "How formidable you become when so much is on the line, Yayoi. Perhaps if you had always fought like this, your family wouldn't have been cast from the Duodecim. But no matter. You have drawn the blood of the Imperator. I doubt you need to consult your daughter to know what the punishment for such treason is."

"Death, of course. Which I shall defy with all of my might." With a roar, Gesshoku lunged forward, light crackling around the tip of his lance. Before he could impale Belioz on the weapon, a giant white crystal emerged from the earth and met his charge. For a moment, Gesshoku pressed against the feldspar, point drilling into its surface. But the crystal surged again, sending him stumbling back.

As Gesshoku found his footing once more, Belioz closed in. With a flick of his baton, red crystals no larger than his thumb flew through the air and struck Gesshoku with more force than their mass suggested. The stone whip formed once more, and it came around to strike Gesshoku square in the head. Staggering to the side, with blood oozing from his temple, Gesshoku swung a one-armed slash at Belioz. Off-balance and dazed as Gesshoku was, Belioz sidestepped the cut easily and lashed with the stone chain again. The blow caught Gesshoku on the chest and pressed him hard against the ground.

As he landed, Gesshoku felt shifting beneath the earth—no doubt a death strike from below. With a hissed breath, he summoned the beam of light down upon himself once more. Just before the olivine crystals could fire up in geyser and shred him, he vanished, appearing behind Belioz. After finding his footing, he stabbed straight forward, bent on expelling all of the strength from his light orb in a single blast. The point caught on Belioz's whip, driving him back. A blinding burst of light followed, scorching the ground and blasting Belioz back. Panting, Gesshoku dropped to his knees, lance in the ground for balance. "Damn you… to demand so much of my strength…"

"And for it to not be enough." Vines of quartz crystals shredded through the dust cloud, lifted Gesshoku, and pinned him back against his manor. Sagging, clutching a burnt shoulder, Belioz staggered into view. He trudged up to the wall Gesshoku was stuck against and pressed the tip of his bladed baton against his chest. "This is your end, Gesshoku. And once more, this is nothing personal. You and your daughter are necessary sacrifices for my end."

After hacking out several coughs, Gesshoku snarled in the face of his death. "What… are you plotting, you…?"

"To secure a future for us all. You have my word on that. Now… your performance ends, Gesshoku Yayoi."

Belioz clenched his fist, and the quartz holding Gesshoku in place sunk back into the ground. The earth rumbled and cracked before sinking Gesshoku down below its surface. With a cry, he reached a hand up to grip the edge of the soil, only for it to collapse in his fingers. The earth around him closed, swallowing him underground. The pressure overwhelmed him, forcing him into a ball as rocks and sands fully enveloped him, choking him. And with him prisoner, the earth hardened, melted and shaped itself. The last he felt was one final surge of crushing pressure and a burst of intense heat.

Several minutes later, the earth quaked again. A large quartz crystal rose from the earth, holding within it Gesshoku's corpse. Belioz stared down at his deceased foe for almost a minute before nodding. "Now, to attend to the rest of your family."

* * *

"Meow! Tao's back!"

The jubilant cry echoed in a village deep below the streets of Kagutsuchi, and Taokaka scampered toward the center of the haphazard houses. The thought of all of her friends waiting for her in the Kaka village—Torakaka, the elder, the kittens—spurred her on, and so occupied was she in her thoughts that she failed to notice that no one had come to greet her. However, before she had gone too far, a hand caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "Mreow! Who's there?"

"Shh. It's me, Tao." A tiger-striped tail twitched as Torakaka placed a paw over Taokaka's mouth. With a tug, she pulled her comrade aside into an alley. "We've all missed you, but you can't be here right now. There's someone looking for you here. Someone you shouldn't meet, meow."

"Tora! It's been… huh? Why can't Tao meet this person? Is he a bad guy?" Taokaka cocked her head a moment before gasping. "Meow! It's green guy, isn't it? Tao's gonna beat him to a pulp, meow!"

"Uh… I don't know who that is, but I can't really say he's much of a green guy. More like a blue guy. But Tao, listen. You must not meet him. All he came here for is to fight, and the elder feels he intends to kill."

"Oh, he wants to play with Tao? Okay then!" Before Taokaka could dart away to meet whoever sought her, another figure stepped into her path. Taokaka's eyes lit up; it was clear that the danger of the situation had completely escaped her attention. "Heya, chief! Long time, no see!"

"It's good to see you too, Tao. But please, listen to Tora." The Kaka chief, face hidden as always by a skull mask, placed a paw on Taokaka's shoulder. "This man is a terror, known for showing no remorse in battle. If he's seeking you…"

"Mew, if he's such a bad guy, why is he still here? Drive him off, meow!"

"We tried, but he refuses to leave until he meets the protector of the village." With a sigh, Torakaka shook her head. "I tried to convince him that I was the guardian, meow. But the kittens…"

"He knows that you are supposedly our strongest warrior, Tao. And he refuses to leave until he fights you." The elder pulled at Taokaka's sleeve, trying to tug her back towards the village entrance. "But we can handle it; he has no interest in us. Only you. Once he figures that you will not arrive, he should leave. I know you only just got here, but…"

"But… what if blue guy doesn't leave? What if he hurts everyone here? And Tao just got here, meow. I haven't even seen everyone yet!" With a shake of her head, Taokaka pulled her arm free. "Tao will nyever let what happened to boobie lady happen to anyone else, meow! Where is blue guy?"

"But… Tao…" Torakaka took a step forward, as though she would block Taokaka's path. But she stalled, arm falling limp at her side. "…Please, just consider a little longer…"

"Nyope! Tao's going now!" And before she could be stopped again, Taokaka bolted away. She could smell it now—something unnatural emanating from her favorite grassy hill. Kaka villagers, hidden in alleyways, turned her way as she passed by the large bowl in the village's center, swiping a fish from it as she passed without slowing down in the least. And then she saw him. A stoic figure basking in the sunlight of her favorite spot, blue hair draped over his shoulder, tattooed chest and abdomen bared as his coat hung over his back like a cape, swarmed from head to toe by Kaka kittens; poking, nibbling, clawing. Piscine snack still in her mouth, Taokaka scampered up to Azrael. "Meow! Tao's come for you, blue guy! …Wait, weren't you at bunny lady's house, tattoo guy?"

"Hm?" Azrael raised an eyebrow at the Kaka. "You're the guardian of this village?"

"Yep!" One of the kittens on Azrael's shoulder leapt over to Taokaka and nuzzled against her leg. "Tao is the bestest guardian, mew!"

As the other kittens joined their comrade by Taokaka, Azrael grumbled and rose as well. "Tch. And here I was hoping the guardian was someone strong. Be proud, cat; the residents of this city think much more of your strength than they should."

"Hey! Tao's strong!" Claws edged out, but after a moment, Taokaka thought better of her statement. "…Okay, so Tao's nyot that strong yet, but Tao will be strong one day!"

"Well, then." Azrael smirked as he stepped up to her. To his surprise, she did not recoil from him. Good. "Then come find me when you actually manage it; I'll devour you then."

"Huh? Devour?" Taokaka lit up. "Ooh, tattoo guy knows what's important in life, meow! Buy Tao food; I'm hungry!"

"…Um." Azrael could only blink at the Kaka before him. "Why does an idiot like you want to be strong? I don't see the point; all the strength in the world would mean nothing if you had it."

"Because Tao has people she needs to protect, meow! Tao will never let what happened to boobie lady happen again!"

"To protect someone, huh?" With a disgusted grunt, Azrael shook his head and stepped past her. "Pointless. Strength is meaningless if it's for someone else. I'll show you that truth when you fight me."

"But… but… if Tao had been stronger, boobie lady would never have left everyone…"

Azrael scoffed and just continued on his way; there was no point responding to her anymore. But something stopped him, something in the back of his mind. "…Is that so? Tell me, cat. What is strength?"

"Strength is being able to… um…" Taokaka paused to remove the vulture-picked fish skeleton from her mouth. "It's being able to beat the crap out of meanies like squiggly and green guy!"

"…Such a dull creature." Azrael turned around to her again, hands in his pockets. What was this memory, sitting in the periphery of his mind? He tried to grasp it, but it evaded him like a fog, slipping through his grip. Well, whatever. Couldn't be anything too important. "Strength is being able to forge the world as you see fit. Obtain it. Embrace it. Let it consume you, and never let anything stand in your way again. Once you've done so, I'll show you how far your strength truly goes."

"Mew? Tao doesn't really get the foggy world thing, but okay! I will definitely defeat you one day! Bye, tattoo guy!" Taokaka waved as Azrael turned to depart, finally conceding that there was no point trying to talk to her anymore—if what he meant didn't get through to her, so be it. Wearing a grin that revealed every last one of her sharp teeth, Taokaka crawled down next the kittens, ready to catch up with all of her friends.

As Azrael tromped down the brick pathways back out of the village, his brow furrowed in thought.

* * *

With an almighty yawn, Nu rose from her medical bed. Although depression still cloaked over her and weighed her down, hunger called more prominently. She strode out of the room and glanced down both ends of the hallway before realizing that she had no idea where she was. Well, it couldn't be anywhere too dangerous. Time to explore.

She started down one of the paths, but only made it a few meters before a voice called out to her. "Hey! Um, Nu, right? What's up?"

Nu wheeled around to the approaching squirrel-eared girl. "Scanning memory… entity identified as Makoto Nanaya. Unit is hungry."

"Oh, kitchen's that way. Come on, I'll show you around." Without waiting for a reply, Makoto grabbed Nu by the wrist and skipped away toward the kitchen; no resistance met her tug, and her ears dropped. "So, uh… you doing okay? I mean, some crazy stuff happened back Ishana, and…"

"Unit has undergone diagnostics and has no errors to report." Nu looked down, still gliding without thought behind Makoto. "No damage to report, either."

"Ah, okay. Good to hear." Still, Makoto's tail stopped its pleased swishing. No, there was no way Nu was actually just fine. She could hear it in her robotic speech and see it in her limp posture. Of course, Makoto barely knew anything of what was going on. All she knew was Nu was a friend, and she had been shoved—probably against her will—into Take-Mikazuchi. Yeah. No way Nu was fine, and Makoto was not about to just leave that be. With subtlety, of course. "So, uhh… you talked with anyone since the… you know?"

"Affirmative. Unit has spoken with Iron Tager and Tsubaki Yayoi." As they came into the kitchen, Nu made a beeline toward the large cupboards in the back. "You have my gratitude."

"Yeah, no problem. See ya 'round, Nu." Makoto smiled and waved, even as her tail twitched. Well, if Nu wasn't about to be forthcoming, then she'd just talk to someone who would be. She spun around on her heel and scampered back out to where she had last seen Tsubaki. And sure enough, her redheaded friend was still in one of the lounging dens of the manor, curled up against Ragna while reading some files. Grinning, Makoto darted over to sit beside them, earning looks of annoyance at her disregard for their privacy. "Hey. Yes, Tsubaki, it's important for once. Is it just me, or is Nu being strange here?"

Ragna just shrugged. "Hell if I know. Haven't gotten around to talking to her since she awakened. If she's going around being chirpy, then she's acting fine."

"She isn't." Tsubaki sat up and set the files aside. "She was… very robotic when Tager and I spoke to her."

"Same with me." Stretching, Makoto lounged back. "And it's kinda obvious in how she's acting. Bit of a slump and such. Any idea what happened to her?"

"Izanami did something to her, the bitch. No idea what, though. And if she's being roboty again, then it must have been some serious shit." Ragna closed his eyes, thinking. "…Gotta wonder, though. Seemed like she wasn't in control of herself at Ishana. She just kinda wandered away, and apparently ended up where Take-Mikazuchi was. What do you think, Tsu? Think Izanami controlled her or some shit?"

Tsubaki nodded. "…Or something. We should probably ask Nu for more details, but it seems like something along those lines happened."

"Well, Nu says she's just fine, so I dunno if we're going to get anything more out of her here." After almost flipping forward off of the couch, Makoto straightened herself up and started back for Nu. "But hey, no harm in asking."

"Makoto." Before the beastkin could leave, Tsubaki reached out and clasped her wrist. "If it turns out that's the case, what are you planning on doing about it?"

"Fix it with science, probably. Doubt anything else would work, unless Rachel decided to actually help for once."

"Oh, hell no, you're not." Snarling, Ragna twisted around to glare at Makoto. A wisp of darkness steamed off of his right arm. "I don't want to think of what Kokonoe would do to 'fix' that shit."

"Yeah, I know. I got someone else from Sector Seven I can talk to about it. Nowhere near as skilled as Koko, but nowhere near as mad scientist, either."

As she released Makoto's wrist, Tsubaki blinked. "You do? I thought Kokonoe and Tager were the only Sector agents you were in contact with."

"You didn't pay attention to what some of your classmates did after leaving the Academy, did you? Namely that a couple of them never actually wound up with the NOL." Makoto flashed a grin. "It's been a few years, but I'd say it's time we give one Kajun Faycott a visit. If Rachel allows us, of course."

* * *

"Please, child. Enter. I assure you, you will be safe." Valkenhayn knelt down beside the red-haired girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Your father has entrusted me with your safety, and your cousin Tsubaki is waiting."

"O… okay, mister…" The trembling child, no older than five, at long last nodded and stepped toward the rift in space Valkenhayn had created. As she stepped through, she vanished, warping through dimensions to Rachel's castle.

With a sigh, Valkenhayn rose, the portal closing. That should have been the last one, but he should absolutely make sure. If even one was left to Belioz's wrath…

A white flash blinded him, and an impact launched him back with an explosion. When his vision returned, he found himself pinned into a wall, blood staining his undershirt and soot covering his entire body. Groaning, he tried to lift himself off the wall, his fingers elongating into claws. Something deep in his back stalled him—must have been a pipe of some sort, broken by the impact.

As Valkenhayn slumped back and tried to focus through the numbing pain, a figure hovered through the cloud of dust to smirk down at him. Izanami extended a hand, pressing her palm against his forehead. "Valkenhayn. How foolish of you to leave your mistress's abode alone. And for what cause? Protecting useless children from my pawn? You shall make for a fine example."

"Iza… nami…" Valkenhayn hacked out a cough, trying one last time to pull himself up to his feet. The palm on his head left him lightheaded, even more so than his injuries. Vision fading white, he dropped back down. No, there was clearly no way out of this. "…So be it. Do your worst."

"Oh?" Izanami's smirk widened into a grin, and her fingers tightened on Valkenhayn's skull. "Have you no fear of death? I do like a fearless man."

"There is a life I fear for, but it is not my own." Valkenhayn's eyes snapped up and he looked up to snarl. "This world will not succumb to the likes of you."

"You truly believe humanity has the strength to defy their fate?"

"I believe your arrogant belief that death is their fate will be your undoing." Valkenhayn doubled over as much as the hook in his back would allow to cough more. "Are you done? I feel you shearing my body and soul apart. Do you actually intend to take my life, or is your sadism not yet sated?"

"Amusing though breaking your spirit would be, I do not have time to dawdle." Izanami rested her other hand on his shoulder and licked her lips. "I expect a strong soul from you, Hellsing."

Some time later, Belioz staggered into the chamber. His face paled at the sight of Valkenhayn cratered deep into a wall, impaled on a pipe, lifeless and limp. For the briefest of moments, he pondered who or what could have done this. But he knew there was only one that could have done this. "…Izanami."

* * *

Tapping his foot in impatience, Jin scowled as he leaned against one of the garden walls, arms crossed. It was time. In fact, it was past time. Where was he? He had better not be chickening out; if so, Jin would have to hunt him down himself, regardless of who else was around. This **had** to end tonight…

The great door to Rachel's mansion opened, moving by inches so as not to alert anyone else with the noise. Ragna slipped through, not even bothering to close it as he stepped into the garden. Blood-Scythe strapped through one of belts, he cast a scowl at Jin as he moved towards the center of the garden. "Good. You're already here. Let's get this shit over with."

"Of course, brother." Jin cracked a grin as he gripped Yukianesa's sheath, following Ragna to their designated battleground. A soft laugh escaped from him, and flowers froze over in his wake. It was finally time. "Let's fight. I'll free you tonight, brother."


	4. Under Heaven Destruction

**A/N: I swear I'll get back to updating quickishly eventually.**

* * *

The brothers met under eternal twilight. Chaos and order. Destructor and protector. So had their fates been written, in the flames of their childhood so long ago. But who would be claimed by which fate?

* * *

A laugh cut through the night in Rachel's garden, and the flash of Yukianesa followed. The frozen blade sparked against Blood-Scythe but rebounded off, unable to drive the hefty sword back in the slightest. With a snarl, Ragna stepped forward and drove a knee at Jin's gut. He wouldn't kill the idiot, but he at least wanted to make sure Jin would never try this shit again. His knee only struck sheath, but it gave Ragna time to pull his hand up against the blade of his sword. The curved edge rose, and Blood-Scythe shifted into its namesake form. "That it, Jin? Come on!"

"I could ask the same of you, Ragna." Jin grunted and ducked under the wide hack of the scythe. As he came up, he drove a fist forward, and the frosty likeness of a fox's head snapped at Ragna. "Why aren't you taking this seriously? This won't mean anything if I kill you without you using your Grimoire."

"Because I don't need that thing to kick your ass." Blood-Scythe snapped back into form, and Ragna cut down the icy head with a hack. He lunged forward, and darkness burst from his fist as he threw a wild punch at Jin. "You damn weakling!"

"Ha!" Jin grinned as he caught the haymaker on his sheath. Dark mist danced inches from his face. In the blink of an eye, he drew Yukianesa free and flicked it around himself, cutting through the Azure's miasma. As Ragna staggered back, nicked by the whirling blade, Jin dashed through him with a freezing cut. A block of ice coated Ragna as he dropped the earth, and it shattered as he landed. "What's the matter, brother? This can't be all you got!"

Ragna had no time to react before a board of ice bowled him over, keelhauling him under after knocking him to the ground. Growling under his breath, he pulled himself up and swung a fist at Jin. Darkness in the shape of the Black Beast's head exploded forward; a quick cut of Yukianesa dispelled the attack. With a grunt, Ragna staggered back. "The hell?"

"That won't be enough. I am the blade of order; neither you nor Terumi can stand before me now." Jin grinned, crystals of ice growing along the hilt of his sword. "Come on, brother. Let's kill each other one last time."

* * *

Slouched in a chair, Kokonoe held a sucker in her mouth as she scanned over Tager's latest report. Everything looked to be in order with Nu, except for the depression report. Something had managed to breach a Murakumo's programming and spook her into complete despair? "The fuck did you do to her, Izanami…?"

"Hey. You."

"Oh, you again." With a roll of her eyes, Kokonoe spun the chair around to scowl at Bullet. "You decided to kill me now, instead of waiting for Izanami? Tough shit, I'm not exactly defenseless anymore."

"Tch, Can people stop reminding me that I can't do shit to you right now?" Crossing her arms, Bullet slumped against a wall and matched Kokonoe's glare. "I've just got some questions for you."

"Piss off, I'm busy."

"No." With a growl, Bullet stalked closer, heat building in her bronze Armagus. Her hand came down on the table with enough force to shake it. "3 years ago. My squad. What the hell happened? I _know_ you know, goddammit."

"Maybe. But what makes you think I'm gonna tell you anything at all? Shit's classified for a reason."

"And? Don't know if you've noticed, but Sector Seven's toast. 'Confidential' means nothing now." Bullet leaned in, lifting her fist up toward Kokonoe's face. "So start talking. What really happened there?"

"Graviton, activate." At the snap of Kokonoe's finger, a round device popped into existence and repelled Bullet back into the wall. "Okay, fine. Your squad was sent to acquire a causality weapon in Naobi, and got slaughtered by Azrael in the process. Relius and I were involved. Nothing you didn't already know. Need anything else, or can I get back to actually important shit?"

"That's bullshit, and you know it." Bullet shook her head and marched toward Kokonoe again, even as another of the scientist's gravitons popped into existence. "My captain survived. I know it. Where is he?"

"Again, that's confidential."

"_Again_, bullshit. Sector Seven doesn't exist. Tell me, or else."

"Never said anything about Sector Seven being why that's confidential. But I've got shit to do, so seeya." Above Kokonoe, the graviton expanded in size into a black hole that swallowed Bullet whole to deposit her elsewhere. With a sigh, Kokonoe shook her head and returned to reading Tager's report. "Pain in my ass, I swear."

Up on a balcony overlooking Rachel's garden, Bullet grunted as she dropped hard onto her back. "Gah, that little… Well, if she's not gonna tell me anything, I'll just find it for myself."

As she rose to her feet, Bullet looked over the rail down toward the garden. Darkness and ice collided far below. "…What are those idiots doing?"

* * *

"I still can't believe we're doing this. Last time I ever follow a cross-dressing freak in anything." On the road to Kagura's fortress-like manor, its castle walls stretching high over the rest of the city block, Platinum kicked at the nearest rock, fists balled in incendiary rage. When no one responded to her bait, she grumbled and turned to Carl. "Come on, shorty, let's bail. We don't stick around for whatever freakazoid and the pervert over there've got in mind."

"I don't think we should." As Carl walked hand in hand with Nirvana, he couldn't keep himself from looking into her blank face. "I mean… I know it's a long shot, but if Mr. Kagura knows anything that might help…"

"I assure you, Kagura has an encyclopedic knowledge of the finest spirits and women in the area. Unfortunately, I doubt that he will be of much service for anything else." A voice from behind made both jump, and a boyish figure with bowl-cut black hair fell into step in between them. "Oh, forgive me. I am Hibiki Kohaku, personal assistant to Lord Kagura."

"Hibiki…" Ahead of them, Kagura groaned. "Please don't introduce me like that. I'm sure I have more skills than that."

"My apologies, sir. Besides your leadership and combat abilities, you have a truly unique sense of responsibility. And I must say, your hygiene is absolutely _impeccable_."

"Kohaku, you say?" Amane turned back with his usual coy smirk. "A pleasure, my dear. How interesting that you managed sneak up on us."

"Forgive me, my good sir. I thought you to be one of Kagura's… ladies of the evening." Although he maintained a polite smile as he scurried to the front of the group, Hibiki's hand sought out a minute dagger in his uniform. Did this man actually know about the Kohaku branch? No, that couldn't be. "And may I ask what you mean be 'interesting'?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought for sure we would have noticed someone slipping into our midst. You're fine, my dear."

"Hm. Very well. Please, after me."

* * *

Litchi placed a hand on the glass container before her, taking up too much space for this to ever function as a hospital for the time being. As expected, Arakune's maskless form gravitated toward her palm as though magnetically drawn—likely in an attempt to devour her, but Litchi did her best to imagine it was out of familiarity. "Lotte… don't worry. You'll be free soon…"

"Doctor Litchi?" A bag over her shoulder, Linhua poked her head into the room. "I'm going to be heading out for a while here. Are Bang and Tenshin around?"

"No, they're back in Ronin-Gai for now." Litchi turned back and smiled at her. "I'll be fine; I won't do anything too dangerous here. I promise."

"Alright." Linhua waved as she left. "I'll see you in a bit, then!"

"Bye." Once her assistant had left, Litchi frowned and turned back to her subject. She _would _figure this out. She had to. If she couldn't do something as simple as save a friend… Swallowing down her anxiety, she knelt down at the base of the prison. Small claws scratched her scalp, and she giggled as she reached up to pet the panda in her hair. "Lao Jiu. I'm going to need you here."

Lao Jiu scampered down her arm to the metal rail at the bottom of the cylinder, ready for whatever his mistress required. After exhaling a deep breath, Litchi nodded. Okay. This would be quick. Almost without risk. She just had to… As she twisted a screw at the bottom of the prison, she winced. For a moment, her vision blurred.

Gasping, Litchi rose and staggered back. Just what was that, this finger of darkness piercing into her mind? Before she could try and figure it out, the dull pain pulsed again. Strength faded from her muscles, and she collapsed to her knees. Waves of dizziness passed over her, dropping her even further, down to her belly. The darkness spread further, and she screamed out in pain. What was happening?! What could this…?

She reached a hand out for Lao Jiu, distant and confused, and stopped. The skin of her arm… what was that sidewinding motion over it? Dark, almost invisible undulations coated her skin. Moaning through the burning pain in her skull, Litchi pressed her hand up against the glass of Arakune's prison.

And for a moment, everything cleared. She could see herself in Arakune's image, reciprocating the touch. Her breath stopped. She knew what this was. The absolute worst outcome possible.

Before Litchi could come to grips with her fate, the pain surged one more time. She screamed and collapsed, consciousness fading in an instant, even as Lao Jiu pushed against her in worry. Just feet away, the black slime of Arakune oozed through the tiniest hole revealed by the turned screw.

* * *

A green phantom drifted from the body of a host, unconscious in a bed. Terumi smirked down at them. Oh, how he wished to kill the idiot right then and there. But no, no, he still needed the body, and he would be a dumbass to let such a perfect choice go. No time to waste, though; if they woke up before he returned, he would be royally screwed, to say the least. The spirit drifted through a window, vanishing into the night.

In short order, he appeared at the ceiling of a familiar lab, Relius below him and, as expected, at work. Terumi drifted down with a chuckle. "Well, hey there, Relius. Hard at work as ever, I see."

"So you survived, Terumi. How… fortunate." Relius did not even bother looking his way. "Terminus will soon be reached, as planned; once the Lynchpin is complete, Alpha shall rise again."

"Oh, I'm sure that's all going just fine and dandy. But hey. I thought we were buddies." Terumi flew over to hover right in front of Relius, misshapen features glaring at the scientist. "So why the hell did you just _ditch_ me back at Ishana?"

"Forgive me; I saw Hazama's remains and assumed you succumbed to the Power of Order. It was quite foolish of you to challenge Kisaragi." Relius gave a futile backhand to the ghost before him. "Stand aside; your soul is blinding me."

"Aww, I'm so _sorry_, Relio." Terumi laughed as he darted away. "But you said the Lynchpin will be ready soon?" Which meant that soon, he could cast aside this annoying scientist for good.

"Indeed. Soon, we will cast Izanami's yoke aside, and our dream of perfection will be realized." Relius looked back down—yes, a perfect world. Which would, of course, involve the termination of such agents of chaos as Terumi. But that could be dealt with later. "Is that the only reason you're here, Terumi?"

"Yeah. Can't exactly watch what you're doing anymore, after all. And I'd better get going. I'll be in deep shit if my host wakes up."

"Your host? Whose body have you usurped this time?"

"Oh, you'll see. And trust me, you'll _love _it."

* * *

"The blade of order…? Yeah, okay, now you're actually sounding like the masked bitch." Ragna drove an overhead slash down at his brother, corrosive black cascading with the hack. The attack stopped short as Jin didn't just block it, but slashed into it. The Azure's power cut off on the contact, and Ragna snarled. "So that's how you beat Terumi. Azure can't do shit against your Power of Order thing."

"That's right." Grinning wide, Jin stepped in and drove a kick at Ragna's gut. As Ragna stepped back, Jin thrust out an arm, and wall of ice erupted. "You're mine, brother! Come on! Bring out your Grimoire so I can totally destroy you!"

"Tch. Not stupid, Jin." With a stab from Blood-Scythe, Ragna shattered the glacier before it could swallow him. He skittered back to put as much distance from Jin as possible. While he maintained his glare, inside he trembled. How the hell was he supposed to do anything against Jin now? He had to think…

"Don't run now, brother. It won't be any fun if I cut you down while your back is turned." Contorting his fingers, Jin summoned a cool wind into his palm, before extending his hand. A spike of ice lanced through the air, only for Ragna to chop it out of the air.

"Well, doesn't that suck for you?" Ragna swung his sword off to the side, and the blade slide along its shaft, extending into its scythe form. For a moment, he stalled. Would this really help? Eh, screw it. He flipped forward and brought the scythe's edge down from above. "Let's go!"

"Hah!" Yukianesa left its sheath in a glitter of frost, an upward slash that clipped Ragna and sent him back to the ground, a deep cut in his chest. Snickering, Jin held out a hand, a whirl of icy wind billowing from his palm. Moisture froze into a snow-flake shaped blade, and a strike from Yukianesa sent it spinning toward Ragna. "Tch. Predictable. This is almost no fun, brother."

"The hell?" Ragna snarled as he cut at the saw, only for it to grind against his scythe for a moment before launching off into the air. He stepped back as Jin stepped in and delivered a single, ranged cut at him. Sparks flew as metal clashed, and as Jin drew back from his hack, Ragna stepped in with a punch at the jaw. Jin staggered, but raised his sheath to block another punch. Instead, Ragna shoved Blood-Scythe's hilt forward and struck Jin straight in the gut. As Jin doubled over, Ragna threw a hook into his jaw, throwing him to the ground. "And stay down, you little bitch!"

"Heh… not bad." After spitting out a mouthful of blood and dirt, Jin pressed his palm to the ground. A sheet of ice spread beneath his hand, expanding in a disc across the garden. "But that won't be enough! Freeze eter-"

Ragna booted him in the face. "Ever considered shutting up?"

"You bastard…" Certain that the kick had loosened at least one tooth, Jin rolled up to his knees and slammed Yukianesa into the growing ice. Towering icicles jutted out of the sheet, surrounding Ragna where he stood. A grin, marred by the trickle of blood, stretched across Jin's face. "You've got nowhere to run now, brother. Now die!"

The ice beneath Ragna's feet trembled, and on instinct he leapt back. As he slipped onto his back upon landing, an icy spire launched up from the ground, spearing where he had just been. "So, you're done screwing around? Good."

"Tch. You had better start taking this seriously." Jin slashed, and a wave of cutting frost parted the ice in a line toward Ragna. Stuck on his back, Ragna could only just get his scythe up high enough to keep the wave from slicing him in half, although it gouged a wound up his leg. With a grunt of frustration, Jin charged forward as Ragna tried to pull himself up. While sliding on the ice, he threw a punch, and the icy form of a fox head lunged from his fist. The blow crushed Ragna against one of the ice pillars, before shattering it and sending him sliding all the way to the grass beyond. "_Shatter_."

As Ragna pulled himself up to his feet, his eyes widened. The plate of ice broke into sharp pieces and, at Jin's beck, hovered into the air. They launched, a razor blizzard, and Ragna could only pull Blood-Scythe back into its sword form and raise it before him. Each shard that struck his shoulder or leg staggered him back, leaving him a shredded mess. One final mass, the largest by magnitudes, crashed into him and bowled him flat onto his back. Jin's laughter followed. "You're too weak to beat me, brother! Just like Hazama, you're _nothing_ without your little grimoire! Now lay there and die."

"Like… hell…" Anchoring himself with Blood-Scythe, Ragna pulled himself to his feet again. Despite his haggard state, he cracked a grin. "Something like that ain't gonna be enough to take me down."

"…Tch. Shut up; you can barely stand." Jin sheathed his sword and stepped forward with a shake of his head. His hand extended, and a blade of ice formed between his fingers. "Just give up already."

"Nah." As the ice speared toward him, Ragna ducked low and spun forward. His scythe extended, and he swung it straight toward Jin. As expected, Jin blocked on his sheath, but the force behind the crescent slash unbalanced him. Blood-Scythe shortened once more, and Ragna made a dash straight at Jin. A roundhouse kick caught Jin in the gut, and Ragna swung his sword down from above. "You really think I don't know how to fight without that piece of shit?"

Although Jin caught the crushing blow on Yukianesa's sheath, his knees buckled under the force. He snarled, fighting against Ragna's strength with all of his… and was not prepared in the least when Ragna reared his head back and slammed it into his face. Clutching a broken nose, Jin cursed as he stumbled back. Blood-Scythe, once more elongated into its namesake, swept low and upended Jin. "Spent a bit of time learning how to fight without any Azure bullshit."

"That… shouldn't be enough, dammit!" Hissing in rage, Jin enforced Yukianesa with a coating of ice and rolled to his feet. He slashed, sheath and all, and the ice broke on contact with Ragna's guard. With a quick motion, he slipped the katana free and cut down across Ragna's stomach. As his brother crumpled, Jin formed a bow of ice. Three arrows fired, lifted Ragna into the air, and deposited him to the ground in a frozen prison. Jin dashed straight ahead with an ice-shattering cut, and sheathed his sword as Ragna crumpled. "Are you dead yet, brother?!"

"What are you… stupid…?" Ragna hacked, blood ejecting from his throat, but nevertheless rose on shaky knees. His vision was half black, pulsing in time with the throbbing in his chest and head. "I told you… a weak piece of shit like you ain't gonna kill me…"

"What do you mean? You're already almost dead." Jin snarled as he turned to glare back at Ragna. Yukianesa pulled from its sheath, and crystal ice coated its blade. "Just what are you proving like this? Why do you try to keep yourself alive, when you suffer so much? There's no point for you anymore! I'll destroy Terumi; you can rest in peace."

"Because I ain't about to let Tsubaki down ever again." Ragna grinned, an expression rendered gruesome by the blood running down his face and through his teeth. "You want to kill me? Take your best shot!"

"Fine then!" With a cry, Jin stepped forward with an overhead hack of Yukianesa, the crystal coating increasing it in length and width. There was no way Ragna could dodge in the state he was in. Yet, despite the impossibility of it, he slunk to the side at the last second, leaving Jin to strike naught but dirt. "Wha-?"

"Carnage Scissors!" Darkness flared as Ragna's grimoire roared to life again. Three steps, all a burden on his torn body, took him to Jin, and he swung the flat of Blood-Edge down into Jin's side. As the Azure's malignance ate into Jin, forced into his side by the power of the blow, Ragna reversed direction with the sword. It buried under Jin's gut and punted him skyward, dark energies trailing to consume him further. Huffing, Ragna watched Jin land hard some distance away. And then he collapsed to his knees, the grimoire closing, Blood-Scythe his only anchor. "Take… _that_…"

"_You_…" Jin coughed as he pulled himself up to his knees. His body trembled; Ragna had not held back in the least with the grimoire's power, even if he had done so with his sword. He planted Yukianesa in the ground for support, mirroring Ragna. He spat, and blood marred one of Rachel's flowers. "How can…"

With a grunt, Ragna collapsed forward, leaving Jin to trail off. "…Tch. You fool. Don't think… you've won…"

Jin couldn't take it any longer; his body was too weak. He, too, fell forward, his consciousness trailing off. "…Heh. Not bad, brother. But, next time…"

So they were when, not five minutes later, Tsubaki arrived in the garden, clad in the battle gear of Izayoi. Her heart sunk at the sight; two of the people closest to her, face-down in the dirt and unconscious. So Bullet had been right about them fighting. She darted forward and checked each brother's pulse in succession, before sighing and dropping to her knees. "You two… why? Why are you both so…?"

She shook her head and rose again. Now was not the time to ponder anything; making sure both of them survived was of highest importance.

* * *

"What the hell do you want now, you bastard?"

Kokonoe's voice froze Bullet where she crouched behind a corner; had the scientist somehow noticed her? Snarling under her breath, she crept back a couple of paces. Goddammit, she _would_ learn the truth, here and now. There had to be something in Kokonoe's files with it. But if she had already been noticed…

"Again, just checkin' in on ya. Heard yer doin' better, so I thought I'd drop on by." Jubei's voice lifted all the weight off of Bullet's shoulders. "Ya fixed up Tager yet?"

"Of course I did. Hate to say it, but I need that rust bucket around. He's looking at that Murakumo Unit right now. I'd say just leave her to waste away, bio-weapon and everything, but I'm pretty sure I'm alone in thinking that."

As Bullet crept closer again, Jubei gave a gruff chuckle. "Now, now. Nu ain't a bad apple. Her n' Noel… it's amazin' what they've become. I'd tell ya to be proud o' what you've 'complished, but…"

"Yeah, no, fuck _that_ particular bit. Anyways. I'm fine. Go bother Ragna or something, he's probably off doing something stupid."

"Actually, I got somethin' in particular I wanted to ask ya. You looked at those files I gave ya?"

Silence fell, and Bullet had to stop dead in her tracks so as not to be heard. "Of course I did. What, you think I'd just ignore something involving mother? She's been transformed by the boundary's about the gist of all of it. And something about Relius doing something to her." Glass shattered. "Goddammit, I already want to tear Terumi to shreds. Why the hell did you have to remind me of what he did to her? Asshole…"

As Bullet snuck close enough to peek around the corner, Jubei sighed. "You know that wasn't my intention. I brought ya the files because—"

"Because you're turning to me to fix your mistake. Of course." From Bullet's vantage point, she could see Kokonoe pull out a remote of some sort and press a button on it. Whirring sounded from ground level; she couldn't make out what it was. Not that she really cared; she just needed to get in and snatch whatever she could from the scientist. Kokonoe crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "Look, I can _try_. But if Terumi just let you take them, then there's gotta be a catch. You know that. So I'm not making any promises."

In the middle of Kokonoe's last word, Bullet scurried in and hid behind the counter, out of sight. Jubei scowled as his eye turned toward the entrance, but made no further indication of noticing her. "Yeah, I gotcha. N' listen. I'm comin' with ya, you hear?"

"…You're such a pain in the ass. Not gonna take 'no' for an answer, are you?" Kokonoe brought a hand down on the table, just above Bullet's head. Bullet winced and crawled further away, before peeking around the counter. A computer awaited on another table. Perfect. She just had to find a time to sneak onto it and… "Meh. Guess your sword'll be nice once everything goes south on us."

"Ain't usin' Musashi on her, n' ya should know that. Her body can take a beatin', but nothin' can stop this blade if I don't want it to." Jubei stepped further away from where Bullet hid, and a small machine, little more than a glorified dustpan, rolled past his ankles to sweep up whatever had shattered earlier. "Ya best be ready to use yer magic, though. No tellin' what she might pull."

"Oh, the hell with _that_! She gives us trouble, I'll just science her into submission. I mean, Rachel and her pet werewolf didn't have much trouble with her, right? Not using mother's power on anyone."

Jubei opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it. "…Thought ya might say that. If yer not comfortable usin' it still, I ain't gonna force ya."

"Not like you could, anyways. But if we're going to do this, we should go ahead. I'm not doing anything better anyways. Just one little thing first." Kokonoe strode around the back of the counter and grabbed Bullet by the back of her hair. "The hell are you snooping around for?"

"Gah! Let go, you little-!" Bullet squirmed, but couldn't break the grip. "You know what I'm here for."

"Same shit? Geez, you're persistent." Kokonoe scowled as she stared down at Bullet, thinking to herself. "You really want to know about your squad? Fine. Former Sector Seven bunker down outside of Naobi. A bit southwest of it, hidden under a ridge. Right on the border of the seithr line, so hope you can take that. We had to pull out of there in a hurry, so I might not have been so thorough about wiping the systems there. You might be able to find something."

"…Tch. And why should I believe you?" Bullet turned enough to scowl in Kokonoe's direction, her Armagus heating up. "If you have information about my squad, why are you sending me hunting for something that might not be there? Sounds like you're just trying to get me off your case."

"Because _this_…" Kokonoe pulled out a small chip from her pocket. "Is worth more than your wretched life." She released Bullet and shook her head. "Alright, you old fart. Let's go. See if we can't draw mother out."

"Right." Jubei cast his eye on Bullet for a moment, before the glowing circles of Kokonoe's teleporter enveloped him. "…Yer sure yer not forgettin' nothin'?"

"Of course not."

* * *

Elsewhere in the mansion, Tager sneezed as he studied the data acquired from Nu.

* * *

"Lord Kagura, may I inquire as to what this meeting is about?" Hibiki stooped low in a bow as he set down a platter of drinks on the smooth surface of a table. Around him, the motley council settled into plush couches surrounding him.

"Not really sure myself." Lounged back, leg extended to rest a foot on the table, and arms crossed behind his head, Kagura hardly looked the spitting image of a Duodecim head. "Hey, Hibiki, can you hand me my drink?"

"I most certainly will not. You have functioning hands; you retrieve it for yourself."

As Kagura grumbled and slumped forward to grab the cool glass, Amane extended a ribbon to grab his own. "I must question this as well; after all, you saw fit to arrest poor innocent me, a lowly dancer. Whatever could I have done to earn such treatment?"

Jaw agape, Platinum turned to Amane, fist clenched and ready to deck him. "_You dragged us into this, you asshole_!"

"I did no such thing; in fact, as I recall, my dear, you attacked this poor gentleman first."

Seated between the two of them, with Ada at his back, Carl sighed and shook his head. "Can you two please stop?"

"You know, I'm wondering that myself." Beverage secured, Kagura kicked back once more. "You all but insisted I arrest you; you must have something in mind."

"Ah, pardon the act. You are the current Mutsuki family head, are you not, my dear? And thus, the head of the Duodecim." Amane paused for a lengthy draught of his water. "I merely wish to inquire… as to the current state of affairs. Particularly those of the former Imperator. Izanami, I believe she calls herself?"

"…Izanami, huh?" Kagura took another sip, but his heavy brows narrowed as he looked back at Amane. "That's funny. Belioz called her something similar. A goddess of death. Isn't that what Izanami was in mythology?"

"So you are familiar with her. Most excellent." Amane set aside his glass and leaned forward, resting his chin on both hands. "And as the current Imperator's nephew, I assume you know a fair bit of what's going on?"

"…Man, how much of this do you know already? You can stop being coy about it anytime now." Wincing, Kagura scratched the back of his head, trying to think of how to approach dealing with this man. It was as though Amane had been there during his conversion with Belioz. "Well, for one, her plans are apparently along the lines of total extinction."

"As I'm sure any goddess of death would scheme."

Kagura sighed, closing his eyes; this man was more than somewhat irritating. "Unfortunately, I don't really know how she is planning to do something like that. There are a few people I could try to contact about what to do about her, but… well, Sector Seven. Doubt I'd get through."

"I assure you, every Sector Seven agent of note escaped the Wadatsumi bombing. As for Izanami, I believe it is quite simple. She controls death itself, and can shear one's soul from his body with a touch. Or so I've heard on my travels."

"Drop the act, Nishiki, I'd have to be crazy to believe you're just a traveling dancer by now." Kagura shook his head. "Although, everything about this is pretty nuts."

"So, uh." Platinum straightened up in her seat and set down her emptied glass. "If Izanami can do that kind of stuff, why aren't all… well, already dead?"

"Who knows?" Amane shrugged. "Perhaps being locked within her mortal shell limits her abilities somewhat. Although, of course, 'mortal' isn't the correct word. If her pawn Clover is any indication, she can render a body unable to die."

"Huh?" All but leaping out of his seat, Carl grimaced as his water splashed all over the table. He threw Hibiki an apologetic look, for which a glare and a grumble answered him, before turning back to Amane. "Wait, you mean my father is immortal?"

"Hm… I'm not too sure I would call him that. He has taken many steps toward immortality, yes. Of his own doing, and of his mistress's. However, he is not content with his progress. He has not truly conquered death; he has merely swept it behind the curtain." Amane rubbed his chin. "Unfortunately, my dear, they may as well be one and the same for you. You lack the means to take his life."

Carl just stared, fists clenching with all their strength. "That… that can't be! You mean after all he's done…?"

The cold steel hand of his sister squeezed his shoulder, and after a moment, Platinum did the same with his hand. Still shaking, Carl closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths. "…There has to be something I can do. There _has_ to be."

"I… uh, guess I could help?" Kagura did his best to give the kid a reassuring smile, in spite of the impossibility of his situation. "This place's library has a lot of stuff about Ars Magus and stuff. Maybe there's something in there that will help?"

"Lord Kagura, if I may." Hibiki cleared his throat. "You know quite well that the library houses some confidential records. I request that our young friend be supervised in his searches, should he choose to do so."

"Yeah, sure. Kid, whenever you're up for looking through the library, let Hibiki know. He'll show you around."

Eyes narrowing, Hibiki stiffened. "…Of course, sir."

"I…" After swallowing, Carl nodded and sat back down. "Thank you very much, Mister Kagura."

"Not a problem, kid." Kagura gave him a lazy wave before turning back to Amane. "So. What are we going to do about Izanami then? Don't think we can rely on Belioz; he's basically passing that on to me."

"What? So you are in cahoots with that guy?" Platinum jumped to her feet, staff appearing in her hand. "Why the hell should we—"

"I suggest, for your own safety…" In a blur of motion, Hibiki appeared behind Platinum. The hilt of a dagger pressed against her spine. "You put away your weapon. In spite of Lord Kagura's myriad vices, I assure you he is somehow worthy of your trust."

"Hey, I don't like Belioz either. To say the least." For the first time since the meeting began, Kagura sat up into almost resembling proper posture. "We don't really have a choice here, though. We need to find an answer to Izanami, and quickly."

"Indeed." After finishing off his glass of water, Amane rose and bowed. "If you are willing to aid us, then there is someone I would like you to speak with. An Observer, such as I. Shall we meet with her, my dear?"

* * *

"Two days to civilization. Hate that thing so much."

Still on a limp, Voivod clambered through the mountain road, a Hierarchical City gleaming in the distance. Rage festered within him, taking form in the clenching of fists and the whirring of weapons. Somehow, some way, he would see Izanami dead before him. Energy crackled through him at the thought. "That goddamn little…"

"Well. Isn't this interesting?" Gravel rained down from a ridge overhead as a blue-haired behemoth smirked down at Voivod. "You wouldn't happen to be Mannock, would you? Either way… you should be quite the feast."

"…Huh? What kind of…?" Voivod's question died on his tongue as he got a look at the man's face, and a death-white blanch spread across his face. "…Oh no, not you…"

"Heh." Azrael leapt down from the cliff with an earth-shaking landing and turned to grin at Voivod. "Been looking for you, Mannock. Never thought I'd find you out here. But hey."

Several of the tattoos crisscrossing his body disintegrated, and a red-orange aura rose from his body. "I'm sure not gonna complain."


	5. Seen and Not Seen

**A/N: And lo, after fourish long months, once more did Velvien's muse awaken from its deep slumber. Or something. Yeah, you know the drill, still busy and such. But I'm just going to go ahead and mention that my time is being eaten less by college and more by a large-scale original project some friends and I have started. Will be sharing more details on that as real progress is made.**

* * *

The Dreamer. Without will, he creates. Pieces arrange and perform their parts in the theater of the absurd. What is the purpose? None know, not even the director of this play. But the players dance until the world is swept away with the coming of the next day. But does this world truly die, or does it persist beyond such apocalypse, even with no eyes upon it, even when the Eye of the Dreamer has passed it by?

* * *

Rachel simply stared the tan-skinned girl in the eyes for several long breaths. Those _fools_, to dare go and battle like that… Her fists clenched and she shivered. "You have my gratitude for informing me of this, Miss Bullet. Nago. Gii. Assemble our guests. Miss Nanaya, Mr. Hero, the foolish lovebirds, and Kokonoe's group. I believe it is time they take their leave of this place."

* * *

Voivod took a limping step back as waves of Azrael's power washed over him. "…Whoa, the bloody…?"

"Name's Azrael. Worked for Sector Seven." Azrael grinned wide, before shooting forward. His fist, too fast for Voivod's eyes to follow, connected with Voivod's jaw and sent him bouncing along the ground into a tree. "And the last thing you'll see in this world, before I devour your cowardly flesh!"

"…Doubt that…" Rubbing his numbed jaw and wincing at the tangible crack in the bone, Voivod wobbled up to his feet. He glared at the monstrous man, even as he hunched over in pain. Shit, what could he do here? 'Keel over and die' was, of course, the first thing that came to mind, but even that was an impossibility now. "…You know what? Screw _this_."

With a kick off the ground, Voivod launched skyward, blazing through the air as fast as he could. Unwinnable fight against a guy renowned for taking pleasure in fighting equaled _gods no_. But before he could get far, Azrael's knee caught him from below, rising faster than he ever could have expected. The brute came down with a heavy punch and pinned Voivod against the ground with a knee, a hand anchoring his head in place. Azrael leaned in, all teeth bared in a grin. "Now, now. It won't be very fun if you turn tail on me. Come on, why don't we get to know each other better? Give me your best shot."

"…Yeah, I'd rather pass on that." With a snarl, Voivod sent an electric shock through his body, the only means of resistance he had at the moment. Above him, Azrael yelped and staggered off of him. In an instant, Voivod saw the answer to his problem: fight until an actual opportunity to run arose. Blades extended from between his fingers, and he swiveled around for a lunging stab at Azrael, kicking off with one foot. "But hey, if I gotta grind you to bits, then I guess I can do that."

"Weak!" Azrael vanished and reappeared several paces back, leaving Voivod off-balance and caught in the air. Growling a monster's snarl, he tore into the earth with his bare hands and flipped a chunk of sandstone straight into Voivod. The mechanical man corkscrewed through the air before landing in a heap on the ground. "Come on, are you even trying with that shit? You stood up to that Take-whatever, and this is all you're giving me? Still… it's funny. How alike we really are."

"I…" Wheezing for breath, Voivod cast as much of a glare as he could up at Azrael. "…Don't see it at all. Last I checked… I wasn't a raving madman on a power trip."

"Heh. Not talking about that." Azrael strode forward and gripped one of Voivod's shoulders in the vise of his palm. "Two Sector Seven weapons, just in different ways. Only thing is, I kill those willing to die and devour them in person… while you hide in another country and rely on weapons to exterminate your prey. Even the most innocent of it."

"Bite me!" Eyes wide in rage, Voivod charged plasma through his claws and put all the power he had into a stab at Azrael's bare stomach. The blades pierced a couple inches in and discharged their energy. However, even as Azrael grimaced and blood stained the claws, Voivod all but choked in shock. That should have pierced right through him! "What on earth are you?!"

"Like I said, a weapon. But unlike you…" Even as electricity coursed through him and blood flowed free, Azrael grinned. His palm crushed hard on Voivod's shoulder; the sound of compressing metal, drowned by a scream, rewarded him. He lifted Voivod up to eye level. "I'm perfect. And a little cowardly shit like you can't do anything to me. I'm getting bored; guess it's time to end this."

With a bark of a laugh, Azrael hurled Voivod skyward. The nebulous mantle about him coalesced around his fist as he drew back, ready to punch a hole straight through Voivod. However, even in such agony, Voivod found the sense to summon forth his hover Ars again, and drifted away from the madman. His legs locked together as he struggled to remain airborne while energy redirected itself. "Suck on this, you bastard!"

The railgun pierced both eyes and ears with its shot, and Voivod flopped all the way to the ground from the expense of energy. With heavy eyes, he looked up to see what had become of Azrael…

The giant stood still, fist outstretched toward where the shot had come from, his swirling maelstrom of red aura sparking with lightning. Slowly, Azrael turned to Voivod, a grin etching its way across his face. His hand moved down as well until it pointed straight at Voivod. "Well. Guess that's it, then. You're too weak to satisfy me."

The aura erupted as it lanced out and burned into Voivod's skin.

* * *

"Awaken, you stupid beast."

Head ringing and feeling as though it were split, Ragna groaned, but merely flopped over onto his side and gripped his head, muttering an unintelligible demand to leave him alone. A hand clasped his shoulder, and his eye cracked open to take in Tsubaki, glaring knives at Rachel. "Could you be a little more reasonable? You said yourself, anyone else would have died from those wounds."

"Dear me. _I_ am the unreasonable one?" Rachel crossed her arms as she glared right back at the taller girl. "I had merely been enjoying my slumber, Yayoi, only to learn this fool and his brother saw fit to use my garden as a battleground as I did so. I may be wrong, but the proper response to such actions is punishment. Or do you think I should just let this occurrence slide?"

"I'm _saying_ to let him recover before you do anything of the sort!" Tsubaki snorted, a growl under her breath. Why did someone so ill-tempered and condescending have to be their de facto leader, anyways? "But you have your wish. He's awake. Say whatever you need to, but don't you dare overstep your bounds."

"Oh, my. I was not aware that you dictated my limits to me. I will endeavor not to cross your lines henceforth." After taking a long, deep breath, Rachel turned down to Ragna with a sneer. "How dare you deign to use my hospitality to settle your pathetic quarrel with your brother? Explain yourself."

"…How about no, you screechy little bitch?" Ragna offered Rachel a choice digit as he tried to sit up, only to groan and flop back down onto the bed. Beside him, Tsubaki sat down and pulled his head into her lap. "Where's Jin? The little shit given up on trying to kill me yet?"

"Unfortunately not, and I will have you watch your filthy mouth around me." Rachel swept away to the other end of the room with a shake of her head. "It is becoming clear to me that my hospitality must end. Noel must come to grasp the power of the Godslayer, a tremendous task in itself. And one that such tomfoolery would hinder. I have come to the decision that I must remove all except myself, Miss Vermillion, and Miss Yayoi's extended family from these walls.

"Seriously?" Ragna shrugged. "Awesome. Was getting bored cooped up here. And the further away from you I get, the better. What are you waiting for, Rabbit?"

"Merely to inform you. All others have already departed; only you two remain to be dispatched from here." Rachel extended a hand, and worm hole opened at her side. "Please, step through. And do take the time to reflect when you see where I am sending you. It may prove beneficial to both of you."

"Alright. If you say so." Lips pursed, Tsubaki pulled one of Ragna's arms over her shoulder to support him. "Are you able to go ahead here? If you're too hurt for now…"

"Heh. Like hell I'm staying in this shithole any longer than I have to. Let's go." Although he wore a deep wince as he stood, Ragna did his best not to lean too heavily on Tsubaki. His eyes softened as he took his first step toward the portal. "Hey. Rabbit. You got this, right? Next time I see Noel, she'd better be everything you claimed she could be."

"You have my word; Miss Vermillion shall become the hope of us all." As soon as Ragna and Tsubaki stepped through the portal, Rachel lowered her hand, and the tear in space closed. She huffed a sigh and closed her eyes. Valkenhayn had never returned. Why could that be? Had something happened? Her hand rose again, and another hole opened. She stepped through, into the Yayoi manor. A chill ran down her spine; bloody footsteps from the outset were never a good omen.

And it did not take long to find their source. In the very next room she entered, the sight within sent another shiver through her. All color, pale though it already was, drained from her face as she gazed upon Valkenhayn's lifeless body.

* * *

Makoto lifted a hand over her eyes to block out the sunlight beating down on the rugged landscape around her. Barren hills and valleys undulated across the landscape, before flattening out into a beach, with sharp cliffs cutting through here and there. Nope. Nothing familiar at all. But maybe that shouldn't come as a surprise. Nor should her companion's stoicism. "So, uh. Where exactly are we here?"

"Scanning…" Nu's visor strobed as she took in her surroundings. "Coordinates determined. What coordinate system should I relay location in?"

"Uhh… oh, forget it, it doesn't really matter. Just wondering where Kajun decided to…" As Makoto looked around, her tail drooped and she trailed off. With a burst of speed, she scampered to the crest of a nearby hill for better vantage. "What the… We're in the lowlands! Nu, get us outta here before the seithr… well, does whatever it does. You can teleport, right?"

"Negative. Unit does not possess such technologies. Seithr levels are being suppressed across a square kilometer diameter. Methodology unknown. There is only a 0.04% chance of an average beastkin suffering seithr poisoning in these conditions." Nu fell silent, the laser point still oscillating back and forth. "Distance to nearest hierarchical city: 17 kilometers northeast. Life sign detected nearby."

"…Oh. Huh. Guess Kajun did something with the seithr. Somehow. Okay then!" After glancing around a bit more, Makoto returned to Nu's side. "So, where's Ka… I mean, those life signs?"

Without a word, Nu glided away along a valley between hills; Makoto took it as a sign to just follow along. The path wound its way between two steep cliffs, becoming a full canyon carved into the limestone and shale. It closed with a small metal door built into a dead end; Makoto smirked at it. "Well. A bit more out of the way than I expected, but I guess we found her."

She bolted the rest of the way and, without the slightest bit of hesitation, pounded on the steel door. "Hey, Kajun, it's Makoto! Open—"

The door slid upwards, and a lavender-haired girl in a labcoat stepped through, a beaker of some bubbling liquid raised over her head. However, as she got a better look at her visitor, she relaxed, lowering the vial as she cocked her head. "…Makoto? How did you find me out here?"

"Whoa! Geez, easy on the aggro there!" Makoto ducked down, arms crossed over her head. Once the blow never came, she dared to peek up at her old friend before breaking out into a wide grin. After another moment, she tackled Kajun to the ground with a hug and sent the beaker rolling along the floor. "Kajun! It's been so long!"

"Y-yes, it has." After blinking off the surprise of suddenly finding herself flat on her back, Kajun smiled back and sat up to embrace the beastkin. "And I see you haven't changed one bit since the Academy."

Makoto opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, the vial exploded into a plume of fire at the back of the room. Kajun looked back at the dying embers of the blast and shrugged. "Don't worry, it's a very localized explosion. Everything should be fine."

"U-um… if you say so." Makoto allowed Kajun to take her by the hand and pull her up to her feet. "But… why are you so far out of the way here? And how are the seithr levels not… killing you and stuff?"

"Oh, I'm afraid my purpose here is quite confidential. Let's just say… an experiment for Professor Kokonoe that must be conducted far from prying eyes. And as for the low seithr levels, you can thank Kokonoe for that as well. Here, follow me." After patting Makoto on the head, Kajun turned on her heel and strode away. She waved for the girls to follow her and smirked. "So, who's this? I shouldn't be surprised to see you here with a girlfriend."

"Negative; units are not engaged in any romantic relationship. Designation: 13th Prime Field Unit, Murakumo Unit Nu-13." Nu's visor faded away as she glided behind Kajun, focus on the blast marks on the floor.

"A Prime Field Unit? My, Makoto, you sure found an interesting one." With a giggle, Kajun came to a stop in front of a large cubic machine. Chrome tubes looped in and out of its steel frame while a motor whirred inside, strong enough to shake the ground they stood on. "This is what's keeping the seithr levels survivable. It's experimental, and its effective range is rather short, but at least it's operational. So far."

"And, um… if it stops operating? And hey, wait!" After giving the machine dubious eye, Makoto whipped around to Kajun. "Wait, did you make this?"

"Hm. I could lie and claim full credit for it; after all, I did construct it." Kajun closed her eyes and sighed, palms up as she shrugged. "But no, this was based off of Kokonoe's schematics. My scientific focus is elsewhere. And if it should cease working, it will blare an alarm, and I'll have maybe ten minutes to get to a teleporter near the back of this place before the seithr kills me."

"Oh… o-okay." Makoto placed her hand on a corner of the device; her entire body quaked from its vibrations, adding heavy shake to her voice. "So wait, you just happened to be employed by Kokonoe after you finished at the Academy?"

"…I'm afraid I must come clean. I was a Sector Seven agent from the very start of my time at the Academy, sent by Kokonoe to investigate signs of grimoires at the school."

"…So you've always been working under her, huh." Removing her hand from the machine, Makoto looked down and slumped her shoulders. "Then I'm just glad you weren't in Wadatsumi when…"

Kajun's smile faded, and her face grew stony. "…I had been working in another lab in the city just two days before. Almost certainly within the blast radius. It's a chilling thought. But that's enough about me. What brings you here, anyways? I have no idea how you found me, but…"

"Oh, right. It's, uh…" Makoto scratched her head before stepping aside and gesturing for Nu to move forward. "Actually, maybe Nu should explain. It's all kinda crazy."

"Affirmative." Nu stepped forward, but in spite of her otherwise robotic mannerisms, had to take a breath to collect her thoughts before speaking. "As a Prime Field device, Nu is a clone based on… um, someone. And that person can control Nu and stuff. Nu doesn't know how, but…" With a sniffle, Nu bowed her head low to Kajun. "Please. Help Nu."

"…So, uh. Trying to shield you from being controlled?" Crossing her arms, Kajun raised an eyebrow. "That… wow. I can try, but… no guarantees. I mean, do you even know how this person can control you?"

"Negative."

"Mmm… then we'll just have to do some research and hypothesize what may allow it." Kajun placed a hand on Nu's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry; I'll try my best here. I will have to study you a bit, however. In the meantime, feel free to make yourselves at home. I know there's not much here, but it should be enough."

* * *

Jin blinked at his surroundings. Just where the hell had Rachel dragged him to? Neither the burnt remnants of a wooden tower nor its surroundings looked familiar. Scowling, he started up the stairs to the tower. Surely there was some reason Rachel sent him here; something from his forgotten past, no doubt.

At the top of the stairs, amongst the charred ruins, something gleamed, as though casting out the aura of dread that hung about the tower. Jin took two steps forward and stopped. A blade pierced the ground, pure white and as long as he was tall. "…Hakumen's weapon? What's it doing here, of all places? Tch."

With a shake of his head, he wandered the rest of the way inside and placed his hand on Ookami's hilt. At once, something jolted his mind. All around, the tower rebuilt itself, while he stood frozen in place. White flashed all around him, and once it passed, a tall man stood before him, soulless eyes staring him down. An empty shell. Words escaped unbidden from Jin's mouth, but he couldn't even understand them. Ice blossomed and enveloped the man, as Jin lifted his katana—

—A black haired man in a cape, a sword too large for any normal man to wield in his hand, grinned as he cupped Jin's shoulder. Words followed, anointing him a major for his heroics. Jin tried to open his mouth to question it; what the hell had he ever done that could be called that? But his mouth wouldn't move—

—Jin walked down a hall of a Librarium branch facility. Something clicked in his mind; were these his memories? If so, any moment now, he would see Noel Vermillion. And see how he had treated her in the past. But no; when he opened the door, a mane of red hair whipped around to face him. Tsubaki's eyes sparkled as he stepped closer and they exchanged words, before Jin reached in to wipe some chocolate from her cheek, all while wondering what this was—

—He crouched over Tsubaki's fallen body. A pool of blood spread out from her, each puncture wound from the myriad swords sprouting from her body oozing. While he stumbled over an incantation, her hand came up and grazed his cheek—

—A monstrosity towered over him. Crimson eyes from multiple heads glowered at Jin as he adjusted his armored grip on Ookami. To his side, five others prepared themselves for this, the final battle. And finally, he knew what this was—

As though zapped by electricity, Jin stumbled back from the planted sword and fell to his backside. Panting and sweating, he glanced around the room. Once more, desolation greeted him; whatever illusion had recreated the tower had broken. Trembling, he leaned against the doorway to pull himself back up. Yukianesa stabbed the ground to support his weight as he trudged forward again. He set his hand on Ookami once more. Nothing happened. And yet, he grinned. "Heh. I guess… you really were me. I understand now."

Jin tightened his hold on the hilt. "You planned this out? Leaving an echo of your memory on this sword for me? Why? So I could follow in your footsteps? Tch. Like hell I would. I'm no hero; I don't give a shit about those things. So, you bastard, tell me."

With a snarl, Jin yanked the sword out of the ground. "Why? Why can't I kill him? I had him at his weakest, and I still couldn't beat him! What am I lacking? Tell me!"

As expected, nothing but the wind answered Jin as he stood staring at the blade, huffing. A low laugh escaped him, grew, and within seconds, he had his head back for cackles. "Of course you can't! You couldn't manage it either, could you? So why the hell would I need this weapon? It's a failure; it couldn't manage the one thing it was meant to do. And so were you! You just showed me everything! Mark my words, Hakumen: I will not be as weak as you were. I will find my own way to kill Ragna, and…"

He trailed off, his face paling as both Yukianesa and Ookami fell to the ground. That last image, of the great monster, burned itself into his mind again. "…No… it can't be. You can't mean that…" He clutched his forehead and growled. Of course. Of course Ragna was the Black Beast. And the weapon that had slain that thing lay right in front of him.

Without warning, a chill froze down his spine and made him tremble. He didn't know how, but someone had just arrived behind him. He turned and glared back at the new arrival. And when he saw her face, something clicked from the memories he'd received. "…It's been a while, Saya."

"I ask you refrain from calling me such. After all, you do not recall your sister, do you?" Izanami hovered to the ground. Her thick robes, ever-present in the past, had been replaced with a thinner skirt, a mockery of priestess regalia designed to show far too much skin, accentuated by her thigh-high stockings. "So Ookami has already chosen a new master. How did this weapon arrive here, I wonder?"

"Hmph. That doesn't matter." Jin leaned down to claim both swords, one in each hand, even as Ookami's weight left it trailing along the ground. "Now. Tell me. How dare you wear Noel's face, you bitch?"

Izanami fell silent, simply staring at Jin for a moment. "…How interesting. You believe me to have stolen my own clone's face? Laughable."

"Laughable, you say?" Jin glanced down at Ookami in consideration, before tossing it aside. No sense using a weapon without having learned how to do so yet. "Come on. I'll cut you down."

"I'm afraid I must decline." With a sigh, Izanami turned away. "Do not be so hasty to reach for the end. Something is amiss with the progression of this world. While I could enact Doomsday and reduce this world to naught but the Entitled, I fear such an action would only backfire."

As crystals of ice encrusted Yukianesa's hilt, Jin sneered. "Backing down like a coward?"

"Do not misunderstand me. You, and all in opposition to me, will get your chance to be slain by my hand." Izanami closed her eyes. Everything seemed in the palm of her hand; why did she feel the need for such caution? Perhaps her answer would come with patience. "But until then, I have my own answers to discover. Farewell."

In a swirl of darkness, Izanami vanished, leaving Jin on his own once more. He scowled a moment longer, before turning back to Ookami. "Very well. But you will regret giving me the chance to learn to use this sword."

After kneeling in front of the long blade, he set Yukianesa down beside himself, and gripped Ookami's blade. "Alright, you bastard. What else do you have for me?"

* * *

"Well. Looks like the bloodsucker kept her word."

Bullet crossed her arms under her chest as she examined the dome of metal and concrete rising up from the ridge. Only half of the roof remained, the rest having collapsed from whatever had burned scorch marks into its walls. Sure fit Kokonoe's description, but she had to be sure this was the right place. "Hey. You. You got a GPS or something on you?"

"Hm?" Behind her, Tager scratched his head. "Yes, I can pinpoint our location. But… why did Rachel send me with you?"

"No idea, just give me the coordinates, scrap heap."

"Very well then." Shaking his head, Tager nonetheless knelt down and activated a device on his wrist. As the data came in, he frowned. The origin point of his personal datum? How interesting. "We're near Naobi, and that seems to be a former Sector Seven base. Which I assume is exactly what you were hoping to hear."

"You catch on quick." Bullet grinned and started toward the bunker. "Come on, let's getting looking through this."

Tager opened his mouth to protest—why on earth should he do anything of the sort? But it wasn't like there was much else to do, and arguing it would do no good. "Very well. What exactly are we looking for?"

Bullet stopped in her tracks. "…Kokonoe said that she might not have wiped systems completely. So I dunno, computers or something? Gah, that makes it sound so vague…"

"I find it doubtful that any systems could have survived whatever attack destroyed this base." Tager sighed and shook his head. He was getting soft. "But I suppose there is no harm in checking to see if any still work."

"And if they still have the data, yeah."

As Bullet made her way up to the bunker, she scowled. The blast door, heavy and automated, stood bent and detached from its frame. Clearly, it would never open normally again. "Well. Only one solution to this."

Tager nodded and made to step in front of her. Electricity crackled in his fists as he prepared to pull the door out completely. "On it."

However, rather than step aside, Bullet lifted her fist and pressed it against the door. The weapon on her forearm charged up and unleashed a blast of flames and a wave of kinetic energy. With a gut-wrenching screech, the door launched on the force of the burst and crashed into the far wall of the bunker. She grinned and stepped inside. "There we go."

Tager blinked, before lowering his hand. "…I see. I suppose that works."

As he followed Bullet inside, he looked around. Just as he expected, most of the workstations within lay under rubble from the ceiling. Before him, Bullet scampered to the first undamaged computer she saw and jammed the power button. It buzzed, but died a moment later. Tager shook his head. "These systems have been exposed to the elements for years. Even if they survived the attack, they've likely malfunctioned."

"Yeah, no shit. I'm not blind." Grinding her teeth, Bullet hopped to the next computer in line. This one didn't even produce so much as a buzz. "Goddammit… I should've known Kokonoe wouldn't have mentioned this if there was a chance I could find my answers her. That damn bitch…"

"Not necessarily." Tager stepped over to a fallen segment of the ceiling, lifted it as though it were nothing, and tossed it to a far corner. Underneath rested a computer, toppled but otherwise undamaged from the collapse. He stepped aside. "You'll have to try this one yourself; these computers don't mix well with my magnetic functions."

"…I don't get it, but whatever. Let's see." Bullet knelt down and turned the computer on. It whirred to life, and unlike the previous ones, did not falter. "Hey, it works! Let's see here…"

As her eyes fell upon the attached monitor, Bullet scowled. Cracked, broken, and useless. Because of course it was. "Gah. Pain in the ass… just a second."

She raced off, and returned a minute later with an undamaged screen. After plugging it into the computer and pressing the button to power it on, Bullet waited, leaning forward in expectation as the image came up. And had to resist the urge to punch it when it finally did. "Goddammit, system's been wiped. Not going to find anything here. Hell, this is useless, the data probably doesn't even exist anymore…"

No sooner had she stood up to search for another one, however, than Tager tossed another chunk of debris out of the way. "Here's another one intact, if you want to try it."

"…Yeah, sure, might as well." Shaking her head, Bullet unplugged and scooped up the monitor. She made her way to where Tager had launched the rubble from and knelt beside the computer. This one, too, miraculously powered on without issue. And after plugging in the screen, Bullet couldn't keep her jaw from gaping. "…Hey. Big guy. Think we've got something."

* * *

With a heavy slump of exhaustion, Ragna stepped out of Rachel's portal and onto a paved street. Dizzy, with numerous wounds burning in pain, he leaned on Tsubaki's shoulder as he did his best to walk with her, glancing around to take in his surroundings. It was mid-afternoon in whatever city this was, and yet there was hardly a soul to be found. An aged man hobbling down the sidewalk across from them was the only other person. "…The hell did that damn rabbit send us? It's like a ghost town here."

"Naobi. I figured this would be as good a place as any for you to recover from your injuries." Tsubaki grunted from Ragna's weight, but sought solace by twining her fingers with his. As they walked, she looked up to meet his gaze. "…Why did you feel the need to fight Jin? Between Relius and Izanami, we already have enough to worry about without infighting amongst ourselves. So why would you go and do something so stupid?"

Ragna couldn't keep her gaze as a weight settled in his stomach. Anger, he could have dealt with, but this quiet disappointment struck him to his core. "…Sorry. I know it's stupid, but… there's shit me and Jin are trying to settle. I… uh, you already know what's happened between us and stuff…"

"Settling those matters is fine, but…" With a sigh, she shook her head. "There has to be a better way to do this. A peaceable way. I couldn't bear losing you and Jin, even if he doesn't remember me that much. So, please…"

"Don't worry, I won't do it again." Ragna squeezed her hand and brushed his cheek against hers. "You got my word on that."

Despite a forced sigh, Tsubaki couldn't quell a smirk from forming as her gaze sharpened. "Hm. Not that the word of a sinful man holds much weight on its own."

"Yeah?" As the feeling of crushing dread lifted off of Ragna and left him feeling a whole ton lighter, he grinned down at the girl beside him. And yet, Tsubaki's point resonated deep within him; he would not be forgetting her disappointment anytime soon. Which, he supposed, was the point. "Nothing you can do about the sinful part? If not, I'm not sure what else I've got to offer."

"I'm sure you could muster up something. If not, I could judge you for your sins, I suppose." Now Tsubaki could hardly talk without giggling. No point on dwelling on the unpleasant at this point, especially in this rare moment of solitude with Ragna. She shrugged. "I'll let you choose."

"Cool. Gotta wonder what you'd judge me as."

"Coarse and rash, but surprisingly kind and gentle at the same time. Enough for me to almost overlook your faults. Almost." Finally, the dam broke, and Tsubaki burst into laughter. "Sorry, I…"

"No need, Tsu." The laughter proved contagious as Ragna joined in. "So, why Naobi, anyways? Thought Rachel was getting your family out of here."

"Yes, which is why I chose it for your recovery. I do not believe Belioz will return here once my family has slipped past him." Tsubaki bit her lip. Of course the Yayois would manage to escape; they had to. "Furthermore, Naobi is not far from Ookoto, and thus the head of the NOL. With Izanami abdicating her position as Imperator, the entire organization is vulnerable. We can capture the government heads and destabilize the entire government, cutting off a potential ally for Izanami. Once you're recovered, of course."

"Mm. Hey, works for me. Just point me where I should swing my sword, and I'll do it." Leaning back, Ragna stretched and winced. "Wounds aren't too bad here, really. Give it a day and I'll be good to go."

"Alright. Just please don't push yourself." Tsubaki reached into the pocket of her jeans and drew out one of the map devices Kokonoe had given them long ago. A hologram of Naobi sprouted from it. "Right, we're in the 12th district here…"

"Oh my. Fancy meeting you here." With a flourish of a cape, a man stood in their path; both Ragna and Tsubaki reached for their weapons on recognition. Wearing a slight smirk, Relius lifted a hand. "Calm yourselves; I am not here seeking a battle. Rather, I felt as though I should inform you of how the play unfolds."

"…Clover." Tsubaki hissed, pocketing her map. Izayoi glowed in her hand, ready to transform into its full potential at her command. "I don't care why you have appeared before us; in the name of justice, we will strike you down."

"You still live out that fantasy called 'justice', do you? Pardon me, but I cannot help but find it quite childish. But I digress." As Relius took a step back from them—any distance between him and Immortal Breaker was more than welcome—his smile faded. "Tsubaki Yayoi, I am afraid to report that your father Gesshoku has been slain."

"…What?" For a moment, Tsubaki's ferocity dulled; her fist unclenched, her scowl faded, her face relaxed. But a moment later, light flashed and clad her in the prototype of the Murakumo design, a blade of hard laser in her grip. "Don't give me that crap. I know Valkenhayn has—"

"Valkenhayn has been slain as well. A pity; I should have liked to have done the honor myself. For old time's sake. But that is not important." Relius took another step back and snapped his fingers, summoning Ignis to stand in front of him. "Your father had his strings cut by Belioz Mutsuki. I ask you, Tsubaki: will you take up the mantle of Hamlet and slay your Claudius? You hold such a right; after all, would that not be justice, to avenge a meaningless murder of your own father?"

"…Just what are you trying to do?" Tsubaki strode forward, fist tight enough to make her entire arm tremble, steps hard enough for her heels to split gravel. At her side, Ragna matched her pace as he brought Blood-Scythe to bear. Her teeth ground, her eyebrows knotted, and yet nothing could show the full maelstrom of emotion within her. "I know your game is manipulation; what's in it for you if I kill Mutsuki?"

"I am nothing more than a messenger in this matter." After one more step back, Relius bowed low. "Good day."

The image of a cloaked phantom in a steeple hat flashed by, and a moment later, Relius vanished. Without stashing his sword across his back, Ragna turned to Tsubaki and placed a hand on her shoulder. "So, uh…"

"We're going to my manor and seeing things for ourselves." Without waiting for a reply, Tsubaki took Ragna by the wrist and stormed off toward her home.

Some time later, the sight of a corpse trapped within a crystal brought a wail of despair to echo through the city.

* * *

"Heh. You surprised me; such power in that shot!" Azrael loped across the scorched field toward where Voivod lay unmoving. He placed a foot down on Voivod's back and pressed with all of his weight. "Why didn't you do that from that start, huh? Might've given you a little more time before I got too bored with you."

"…Because doing that sucks…" With half the skin on his arm and upper torso blasted off, Voivod turned to sneer up at Azrael, revealing that half his cheek had been scorched off. Blades extended from his hand. "Get… your filthy foot off of me… before I shred you into confetti…"

"Big talk from someone who should be dead." Still, Azrael stepped off of him, only to clutch him by the head and lift him up. "Kinda amazing, really. I thought you'd be made of paper, but you actually survived that. Kokonoe's really improved since making the Red Devil, hasn't she?"

"Sector Seven… has nothing to do with me still being alive…" Voivod looked up and coughed. "Izanami did this to me."

"Did what? Made you a resilient little shit?"

"…I can't die. Or so she says; I sure haven't tested it."

"Oh. Allow me, then." Azrael tossed Voivod into the air and caught him by the legs as he descended. Grinning, he spun around, lifted Voivod as though he were a rag doll over his head, and slammed him down head-first against a rock. A streak of red marked the stone as he let go of his target. "So. You still alive?"

"…Un… fortunately… yes…"

"…Well then." Azrael kneeled down beside Voivod and pulled his head up. "How's this? We're going to find Izanami. We're going to make her make you mortal again. And then we're going to finish this. Got it?"

"…No complaints… or anything… but why are you…?"

"I have one debt to pay to Sector Seven, and that's killing you." Azrael tossed Voivod's limp frame over his shoulder and marched off. "Besides, it wouldn't do for the Mad Dog to leave prey without devouring it. And… well, if this Izanami is up to expectations…"

His eyes glinted as his teeth showed in a feral grin. "I may be in for the meal of a lifetime with her."

* * *

**A/N: And now, an update on other fics. I'm tossing ideas around for Gutter Allemande, Super Fighting Robot Mega Lambda, Cloudburst, and (probably rather surprisingly) Turnabout Trigger still, and will probably get to writing at least one of them again in the near future. However, everything else... I'm just not sure on. Not saying they are discontinued for sure or anything, but I'm lacking inspiration for them. Stories for Under Night In-Birth are pretty likely to happen to some degree, but beyond that, probably not going to be writing any new fics any time soon. And that's all for now.  
**


	6. The Light and Shade of Things

Forever, the world spirals and repeats. It's born. It lives. It dies. An embryo forms. Rinse and repeat. Her dreams give form to this cast-iron cycle. The details change, but the key points are the same. She seeks nirvana. It never comes. There is no truth to this world; it just is. This will never end.

* * *

"Hey. Amane. Mind if I have a word with you?"

Standing dead still in the middle of one of the chambers of the Mutsuki manor, Amane turned to Kagura with his usual smirk. "Ah, but of course. However can I help you? And may I request your assistant reveal himself?"

"Huh?" Kagura stopped in mid-stride. "What do you mean? Hibiki isn't…" His cape billowed, and Hibiki stepped out of it, leaving him gaping. "Hey! Come on, Hibiki, I said I needed a word alone with Amane here."

"Then pretend I am not present." In a burst of black feathers, Hibiki leapt to the ceiling and clung upside-down to it. "But I will not leave you unguarded, sir."

"…Alright. Fine. I guess. Uh, anyways…" Kagura stepped closer to Amane and rubbed the back of his head. "I was just… kinda wondering something. What you meant when you said my sword lacks weight."

"Oh? But I thought I was quite clear." Amane shifted back to sit on a couch, and leaned forward to rest of chin on both palms. "There is nothing behind your attacks, my dear. Why, I believe even the esteemed Mr. Clover could block them with ease. I'm afraid that as you are, your strength will not amount to anything, despite being truly tremendous."

"…I think I get it." With a sigh, Kagura slumped into a chair opposite of Amane.

"My, you catch on quick. Indeed, it is disappointing. So great a leader and fighter, clouded by fate. Given the chance, you could have been a star in the grand dance. But instead, you have nothing to drive you, do you? Without conviction, you are weak."

"…Why does it feel like you know way more than you should? Well, whatever." Head down, Kagura clenched his fist. "Yeah, I've been kind of thinking that myself for a while. That I'm just… well, stagnating. And that I can't drive myself further."

"If I may, sir?" Hibiki's voice drew both of their attention upwards. "Perhaps if you ceased your hedonistic ways, you would be able to commit yourself to something more important."

"Hey. That has nothing to do with anything here. I'd _die_ without women, dammit!"

"Forgive me for being dubious of that." Feathers drifted down as Hibiki shook his head. "Even as the Mutsuki family head, you're still far too limited."

"…Because Belioz is the Imperator. Right…" Kagura groaned and ran his hands down his face. "I mean, it's nice and all that I've got this rank now, but there's not a whole lot I can do with it. World's gone to shit, so political power doesn't mean much right now."

"Yes. And I suppose you believe yourself limited in how you can combat Izanami." Amane rose and bowed his head to Kagura. "I do believe you will find your way, Kagura. But unfortunately, I am afraid I must take a brief leave. Urgent matter; you understand, I hope."

"…Right. Right…" Shaking his head, Kagura rose to his feet. "Well, thanks. That helped."

"But of course. Now, I will return in due time."

* * *

"I hate technology."

This was the only conclusion Bullet could come to after ten minutes of poking around the files on the computer. Every time Tager had tried to speak up, she brushed him off, insistent she do this herself. Because pride or something. But here she was now, completely baffled. "I mean, seriously, is there any order to any of this?"

"It's ordered by creation date, rather than name, it seems." Being brushed off, however, did not stop Tager from standing behind Bullet and watching her efforts. "You know the date of when your unit was decimated, right?"

"Of course. How the hell could I ever forget that? So, uh…" Bullet cocked her head. "Would be nice if they actually showed the dates on here. I guess I should just open a file and… nope, not even close."

After sighing, she whipped around and glared at Tager. "Okay, fine, try to find something important. Since you're so great with technology or whatever."

"Well, technically, I _am_ technology…" Tager took her place in front of the computer. With two clicks, the dates for each file appeared. "There. You should have an easier time searching now. Any report filed on your unit should be within a week after the incident."

"Holy shit, how did you do that? …Never mind." Shaking her head, both in awe and indignance, Bullet took her position back at the monitor. "Alright, let's see… hm, should be around here. I'll just open this one…"

Three files later, Bullet leapt to her feet. "This is it! Holy shit, this is actually it! I didn't think I'd actually find it, but…" She glanced at Tager, before turning away, almost sheepish. "Well, anyways. Time to find the truth… Yeah, yeah, entire squad was annihilated by that bastard Azrael… But hey. I was right! The captain survived. And then, was brought back to Kokonoe's lab, and…"

She stopped talking; she almost stopped breathing as her face went pale. This was impossible. This had to be a lie. But there was no reason for it to be one. After all, no one expected she would find this, right? She swiveled around to cast a wide-eyed stare at Tager. "Hey. Uh. Do you remember… when you were made?"

"Vaguely." Tager shrugged. "I know it was during the Ikaruga War, and that I was sent to Naobi soon afterwards, but I don't remember the specifics. Why?"

"Because, um. According to this. My commander was experimented on. And became you. You're my commander. What the actual hell."

Tager just blinked in silence. With a sigh, Bullet turned back around to read over the file again. "…You, uh, really don't remember anything from before you became you?"

"I'm sorry. I don't. But…"

"…Great. The guy I've been looking for's become a giant metal thing working for the people that got my friends killed." With a shout, Bullet drove a fist into the monitor, shattering it. "God damn everything! What the hell am I supposed to do now? Well, besides make sure no one else ever sees this shit…"

"Actually, that was just the monitor. The computer itself holds the data." Tager withered as Bullet glared at him. "…Apologies."

A blast of fire torched the computer itself, and Bullet punched the ground. "Goddammit, what am I supposed to do now? I finally find what I've been looking for, and it's this shit…"

Tager sighed and turned away. "Should I leave you alone for now?"

"…No. Actually. Think I need at least someone around. Even if it's you." Shaking with rage, Bullet stood up, back to him. "…I think I get why Kokonoe refused to tell me about this. There was no way in hell I'd believe it. Hell, I'd probably attack her on the spot. Doubt she really considered how I'd react to finding this, though. But. Well."

She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She turned around and saluted. "I guess I'm reporting back for duty then, captain."

"…What?" Tager staggered back; this was the last thing he expected. If anything, he had braced himself for her to lash out at him. "Don't be absurd. I'm not your captain anymore; he was a completely different person. Our goals are at odds with each other. I respect your loyalty to him, but it would be misplaced on me."

"…I know. I know it's stupid, but…" She looked down, shoulders slumping. "Look. Those guys were the only family I ever had, okay? I've been trying to find any trace of them for years now, and I finally have it. And, of course, it turned out to be the worst thing possible aside from them all being dead, but it's _something_."

"But following my command is not something that will make you happy. I'm not even cut out for such things anymore; my design was to be a follower, not a leader. It's not a good idea, Bullet."

"…No, it actually is. We're both after Azrael and Izanami, right? And, well…" And for the first time in as long as she could remember, Bullet let her anger and rage vanish entirely. She crossed her arms, hugging herself, and sank to her knees with her head hung. "…I'm so goddamn tired of being alone already."

Tager closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. "…You are right. We do share common enemies. Very well. If you're sure this is what you want to do, so be it."

"…Alright." Still shaken, Bullet rose to her feet and wiped the back of a hand over her eyes. At once, she summoned up her usual mask to cover her sensitivities. "…Feels like I'm going to vomit. This is all so bullshit. So. Should we rendezvous with… Kokonoe then?"

"Unfortunately, I don't believe we can. It would seem she is currently actively tracking down the Phantom." After a moment's consideration, Tager nodded to himself. "However, I believe there is still something we can do. While attacking Izanami would be suicide, we do have another we share a grudge against."

A blink. "Azrael." Another blink. "Who's not even on our side, he's just out there doing whatever." A third blink. "…Can we actually take him out?"

"I doubt we could kill him. However, I did defeat him in the past. It was how he was captured during the Ikaruga War." Tager pushed his glasses up with a finger. "Would you be willing to assist me in attempting to do so again, no matter how much of a long shot it is? After all, he is far too dangerous to leave on his own, even if he is supposedly a neutral party."

"Yeah. You got it." Bullet bashed a fist into an open palm. "That bastard is going to pay for what he did."

A laugh rumbled from Tager. "Very well. If we can contact Rachel, we can ascertain his approximate location. My sensors can handle tracking from there. But first, let's get out of this bunker."

As they started out into the cool breeze, Tager slowed down. The almost blind loyalty Bullet threw his way—or more specifically, to her former captain—got him thinking. "Bullet. Do you mind me asking something?"

"Not really."

"…Your loyalty is truly impressive. However, what if you were asked to do something you could not fathom abiding by? Something that went too far against what you stood for?"

"Huh?" Bullet looked up, rubbing her chin in thought as she followed Tager onto a forest trail. "Well, I guess that last mission counts. I was wounded and was told I had to stay at the camp, instead of going on the mission. Fought that shit with all I had, but… well, I can't defy orders. It's the only reason I'm still alive. Why?"

"I believed I was the same. That I could not disobey any order from Kokonoe."

"But you did?"

"…Yes. I could not stay in the lab while the attack on Ishana occurred, no matter how much Kokonoe ordered me to. I joined the fight against her wishes, and only with a begrudging blessing. While I still believe fighting there was the right call, I can't help but wonder now: what does that make me as a soldier? My loyalty shattered. Do I still have the right to call myself one?"

"Mmm…" Closing her eyes, Bullet looked down in consideration. "Well, uh. Shit. I really don't know what to say. Yeah, doing that helped, but… uh, well, what you said. I guess… I guess it was still fine? Seems like Kokonoe accepted you back just fine."

"Right. I suppose so." After heaving a sigh, Tager turned and looked back at Bullet. "Bullet. If I give you such an order, make your own call if you should abide by it."

"Got it."

* * *

Head down, a slump in her walk, Tsubaki marched down the trail toward Iwatsuchi. A warm hand—Ragna's, bereft of glove for once—rested in her grasp, but did nothing to melt the ice in her chest. Where she was, what was around her… that didn't matter. All that did was her end destination: The Mutsuki manor, and the man she would cast divine judgment upon.

At her side, Ragna could only grimace at her hollow expression. Although it felt like a knife to the gut, he focused solely on her face as he walked. And so, several minutes of silence later, he finally realized something was wrong. The air too dry, the shrubs too twisted, the atmosphere too heavy. He shuddered and looked around. Yep. Way off course again. "Hey. Tsu."

No response whatsoever; he may as well have been talking to a rock. He sighed before giving her hand a tug, trying to steer her in the right direction. She simply tugged back harder on instinct. "Tsu!"

Tsubaki jumped at the shout, pulling her hand free of Ragna's to draw Izayoi. She whipped her gaze around, breathing heavy. "Huh? What's…" Reality finally caught up to her, and she sighed as she drooped. Her sword vanished from her hold. "Oh. Wrong way again? Sorry."

And without another word, she clenched Ragna's hand and all but dragged him back in the direction of Iwatsuchi. With a shake of his head, Ragna looked down at his feet to brace himself. "Tsu, look. I know how you feel here. But you need a rest. Don't have to be long, but…"

Tsubaki flashed a glare his way, and Ragna couldn't conjure up any more words. However, after a moment, she closed her eyes and stopped. "…No. You're right; it won't do for me to collapse before I can bring justice to that snake. I'm… sorry. I shouldn't be dragging you along like this…"

"Hey, don't say that." Ragna cupped her chin and lifted her face to look her in the eyes, while his hand rested on her waist. "I'm with you all the way, alright? No matter what you do, I'll be there. So don't worry about dragging my ass out on some revenge crusade."

"Ragna…" For the first time in days, a smile broke out on Tsubaki's face. Placing one hand on Ragna's cheek, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. "Thank you. I know I've been… less than reasonable here, but I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Nah, you don't gotta do nothing like that." As they resumed walking, Ragna glanced around for a good spot to rest up along the path. A boulder, flat-topped and on seemingly solid ground, caught his eye, and he turned to grin at her. "Hey. How's this. First one to the rock… um…"

With a snort, Tsubaki shook her head, but she couldn't hide her own grin; as always, Ragna managed to find a way to burn away whatever melancholy festered within her heart. "How about loser makes dinner? Because I want to taste some of your cooking again."

"You got it." And without any further warning, Ragna shot on ahead, laughing at Tsubaki's squeal of surprise. It wasn't like he was trying to actually win this anyways; just trying to pick her up, even if for a short time. And sure enough, in short time, Tsubaki sprinted past him. But they never reached their destination.

In a swirl of violet, Izanami appeared and stepped into their path. Behind her trailed a trio of hovering golden triangles, forming a halo of light between them. As Ragna and Tsubaki skidded to a halt, going for their weapons on reaction, she came to a stop and shook her head. "Cease this; I have no intention of slaying you in the least."

"…Tch. You actually expect us to believe that?" Snarling, Tsubaki marched ahead. Malicious light glowed on the end of Izayoi, different from that which she usually summoned with it. "You're Izanami, right? I will allow no foul deeds from you. Goddess or mortal, I will strike you down and stop you."

"How amusing, child. To believe yourself capable of slaying me." Izanami gave a sinister whisper of a laugh and stretched her hand forward. The halo drifted forward. "But I do recommend you cease using that weapon; it is taking far too great a toll on you mentally."

"And just why the hell do you care what Tsubaki does?" Although he spat fire in his words, Ragna placed a hand on Tsubaki's shoulder to gently pull her to a stop. No, kick in the groin though it was to admit, Izanami was right. "So, what do you want? Better hurry, because you've got about ten seconds before I shred you for wearing my sister's body."

"I wish for you to take your place at my side, Ragna."

Ragna blinked for several seconds, before barking out a laugh. "You're joking, right? Go screw a rake."

All Tsubaki could do was bury her face in her palm and groan. Izanami, on the other hand, showed no reaction beyond the curling of a fist. The death goddess spoke once more. "This is not in jest; you are bound to be my servant. You are the Destroyer of the World, after all. Come to your sister's side, and you shall be rewarded for—"

A plume of darkness erupting from Ragna's arm cut Izanami off, making even her hover several feet back from him. All humor had drained from his face. "Don't you dare call yourself that. Saya's gone; you're not her, and I'm going to kill you for it. There's no way in hell we're joining you; get outta here, or I'll cut you in two right now."

"Even if I were to offer you the chance to take Terumi's head?"

For a moment, Ragna stopped, jarred by Izanami's words. At his side, Tsubaki shook her head. "Why would we trust you? You have been working with Terumi this entire time; I see no reason for you to offer such a thing. Not that we would accept anyways."

With a deep breath, Izanami looked down and closed her eyes, pondering. After several seconds of silence from her, both Ragna and Tsubaki exchanged uncertain glances. Could Izanami, the highest order of threat they faced, seriously be somehow shaken by Terumi? They weren't given much time to think about it as Izanami at last opened her eyes, although she shifted to look off to the side. "…I must admit, I am uneasy. All has been to plan until the battle at Ishana. My defeat there, and the loss of Take-Mikazuchi, was a hindrance, but not one I could not recover from. Terumi's defection from his host body, and prompt disappearance, however… I cannot foresee how this will end."

She sighed and turned back to the duo. "While Relius, Terumi and I allied for our own purposes, we have conflicting goals. When Terumi was confined to Hazama, I could keep watch on his machinations. Now, he is beyond my ability to perceive, his dagger ready for betrayal at any time. I cannot allow this. Not when my world looms at my fingertips. I come to you with this request, for Terumi is a mutual threat."

"All for your 'world', huh?" Tsubaki shook her head, and Izayoi flashed in her grip. "Your world of death, where we all perish and leave it a desolate wasteland. Know this, Hades Izanami: we do not exist to be slain when you tire of our existence. We will fight until the very end against so horrible a whim."

"Whim? I do believe you misunderstand me. You are aware of the loops of time in this world, are you not? Amaterasu, in her foolish wishes, has created an unnatural world: death is transient, when it should not be. I wish merely to return this world to its natural state. The sacrifice is needed, but I am not as merciless as you portray me. Assist me, and I assure you, your soul and Ragna's will be forever entwined."

For a moment, both Ragna and Tsubaki fell silent, unable to counter for the time being. At last Ragna shook his head. "…Okay. So you can doll it all up nicely. Good for you. Here's the thing; I think your plan is complete bullshit, and no twisting it will convince us otherwise. You want us to kill Terumi, and then roll over and die for you? Too bad. We'll take care of Terumi ourselves, and then kick your ass until you piss off for good. Got it?"

"Even if I were to offer your greatest desire? I am, after all, a goddess; bow to me, and you shall be granted all you need. Whether it be the power of death to slay Terumi, or for Mutsuki to be brought before you to wrought your vengeance upon, I shall grant these as a token of my goodwill."

Tsubaki froze up as a hot wave of rage welled up within her. All logic told her to deny Izanami, but hatred for the man who had slain her father burned through it. Her blood ran hot with the desire for revenge, and Izayoi glowed in her hand. She opened her mouth…

"You just don't get it, do you?" Ragna sneered as he readied Blood-Scythe. "You and Terumi both need to die. I don't give a shit what you offer; I am not going to help you. You're full of shit, anyways. Go piss yourself over Terumi by yourself; we'll deal with him on our own. Unless you want us to take care of you right now. Either way's fine by me."

"…So be it, fool." Izanami hissed her words, baring her teeth in snarling. She lifted a hand, dark mist emanating from it as she glared straight down at Ragna. "Awaken, Beast! Your time has come to bring ruin to this world! Fall under my command and wreak havoc!"

"The hell—!" Reciprocating Izanami's energies, Ragna's arm lit up with the Azure's force. He howled and dropped to his knees, tar-like miasma creeping at an accelerated rate up his neck and face. "You… goddamn…"

"Ragna!" Tsubaki dropped down beside him and clasped his shoulders, but saw in an instant what she needed to do. Izayoi broke out into white light, and when it faded, it coated her in its unsealed form. With a cry of rage, she flew forward, straight at Izanami. She had to stop the goddess, lest she lost Ragna for good in but moments…

"By my hand or his, child, you shall perish. Be gone." From the palm of Izanami's raised hand, deathly blue flames gathered. They swirled into a ball of fire, a miniature sun, and Izanami cast it to intercept Tsubaki's approach. However, before it had traveled far, a purple ribbon lashed out and struck it. The flames vanished, and Tsubaki descended upon Izanami with a heavy slash. "What?"

Before the blow could land, Izanami vanished and appeared a few paces back. Before her, she could only watch as Ragna straightened up, the Black Beast's influence fading from him. "…Uzume. Reveal yourself."

"If you insist." Amane stepped out from behind a tree overlooking the path, his lithe frame swaying even as he walked. But despite the rhythm present in his step, his eyes bored a glare into Izanami. "Your desperation is fascinating, Izanami. Are you truly so afraid of Terumi that you would risk converting Ragna into a Black Beast? Knowing that you would play into Terumi's hands?"

"…Hmph. You have a point; I should not be so hasty." Izanami straightened up and brushed off her robe. "Terumi, after all, seeks any opportunity to strike. He would usurp me in my moment of triumph if he is not dealt with first. I shall retreat for now and focus my efforts on him. But know this; once he has been slain, you will follow, Uzume. Farewell."

The goddess vanished, and Amane sighed in relief. Before he could speak, however, Ragna pointed Blood-Scythe straight at him. "Hey! Freakshow! What gives? You in league with her or something? 'Cause she sure backed off quickly when you told her to."

"Oh, dear me, no. I was merely using her own logic to spare the two of you." Amane turned to him and swept into a graceful bow. A distance away, Tsubaki shed Izayoi's coating and made her way down toward Ragna. Amane merely greeted her with a nod. "You don't need to fear Izanami turning you into a feral Beast anymore; I have taken the liberty of Observing you, my dear."

"So… Ragna can't turn into the Beast anymore?" Tsubaki panted between words, trying to forget the surge of anger that had taken hold of her. That couldn't have happened; there was no way she ever could have considered Izanami's offer… "You have my thanks?"

"Hmm… I wouldn't necessarily say he can't. I can will him to remain in his natural form. However, as you must know, he carries the Black Beast's curse on him. While my Observation may slow down its corruption, it will consume you eventually."

"…Right. Sure. I didn't follow any of that shit, but…" Ragna rubbed the back of his head, gaze averted. A shiver threatened to quake through him; he stiffened, trying to quell it and get his mind off of Amane's warning. "Well, uh, thanks. Dunno how we would have gotten outta that without you."

"I would suggest not dwelling on what might have happened, my dear." Amane turned and started to walk away from them. "Ah, but I must beg your pardon; there are still preparations to make, so I must take my leave. But first, Miss Yayoi?"

Something about Amane's tone made Tsubaki need to swallow before answering. "Y-yes?"

Amane turned to look her dead on, eyes ablaze with a marine flame that made her step back. "I cannot Observe you to quell your demons as I can Ragna's. Do not let them destroy you."

With that, he vanished into the wind, leaving Tsubaki shaken. Without delay, Ragna stepped in close to her and clasped her shoulder. "Hey, Tsu. You okay?"

"…Yes." With a resolute nod, Tsubaki sheathed Izayoi and turned to look Ragna in the eye. "Let's go. We're still a few days from Iwatsuchi."

* * *

Some distance away, Amane stepped back into reality in a grove. Waiting directly across from him was Izanami, hovering in place. He greeted her with a smirk. "Ah, I figured you had not gone far. After all, you cannot allow this chance to pass you up, can you?"

"You understand all too well, Nishiki." Izanami closed her eyes, her toes touching ground. She held out a hand, and the halo formed behind her again. "I do believe your meddling must come to an end; surely an Observer must have limits. But in lieu of the rules governing such phenomena, I will be happy to enforce them."

* * *

High above the streets of Ronin-Gai, atop the sculpture of a dragon adorning to the tallest building of the area, a man stood tall and proud, a finger pointed straight to the sun. The milling crowd below slowed to stare up at him. And upon recognizing Bang Shishigami, most just continued on their way, often at a hurried pace. Who knew what he was about to spout now?

"Honorable citizens of Ronin-Gai, whether you be refugees of Ikaruga, or rooted here in Kagutsuchi! Lord Tenshin Amanohokosaka and myself come before you today to beseech your aid!" Bang's finger lowered to aim down at the crowd below. "A tremendous threat looms above our world, one that affects every one of you!"

"I can confirm this." Another man stepped out of the shadows of the streets, mask over his face. As soon as all attention was upon him, Tenshin removed both mask and hood, revealing his face for all to see. "I am Tenshin, son of the late Lord Tenjou, former Imperator of the Novus Orbis Librarium. I beg of you your forgiveness for my absence, and pray you believe our words today. A veritable goddess of death, taking the hallowed name Izanami, seeks to reap this world of life entirely. I know it will be hard to believe, but…"

"We have experienced the truth for ourselves. This goddess is a force beyond all imagination. However!" Now Bang's gauntlets burst with flames as he clenched a fist and spread a palm over the crowd. "We will not allow such evil to take us! We will fight this dread Izanami! And with our burning passions and brilliant spirits, we shall prevail! None that attempt such unfathomable atrocity will stand before us! Come, my people! Join me! Whether or not you believe us, at least join in the spirit of Ikaruga, a unified soul that no evil can defile! In the name of Ikaruga, and the late Tenjou, we will be one!"

And just like that, many in crowd cheered; both longtime acolytes of Bang, and citizens with no ties to him whatsoever. Of course, most just shook their heads and walked on, but Bang grinned bright and leapt down to meet them. "Soon, my brothers, we fight, and bring our foe to justice! Come with me! Let us rally all of Kagutsuchi!"

As the gathering followed Bang down the street, Tenshin could only watch on. That was supposed to be his triumphant return. But Bang… How dare he outshine his own lord like that? Of course, Bang always was the fierier speaker, so perhaps that had been for the best.

A whisper of a warning passed through Tenshin's mind, a token from Belioz. That the people may flock to Bang. And… thus reject Tenshin's divine right to rule? He shook his head; no, of course not. Bang knew of his providence; he wouldn't interfere with that. But still, that speech, in which his eminence burned far too bright… That couldn't have been by accident. And his own name had been tarnished by years spent away.

Tenshin snarled, shivering. No, he would not allow this. He would claim his providence, and succeed his father as the true leader of Ikaruga.

* * *

"…Ishana, eh? Never reckoned I'd be back here so soon." Jubei's ears twitched as he walked up the stone stairs. On first glance, it looked the same as ever; but he knew that if they set foot inside, that mirage would be broken. A tail coiled around one of Musashi's hilts as he glanced around with his keen eye. "N' yer sure she'll be here?"

"She'll notice us, and come out. Or at least that's what I'm counting on; if we haven't found her after a bit, we'll see if Rachel can point us her way. For now, I'd rather stay out of her hair, though." Kokonoe pulled out a small device from her pocket and fiddled with it. A projection arose; words scrawled into the air, traveling along with them. "Okay, look. I gave those files another lookover, and I think I've got what's going on with Phantom here."

"Is that right? Yer sure somethin', Koko."

"…Call me that again and I'll drop your ass back at the mansion. Anyways. Mother… I mean, Konoe is stuck in a sort of cocoon here. She's not dead or alive, but rather wrapped in a pocket of the Boundary. So yeah, you'll be fine slashing her if we need to fight. But anyways, the cocoon has greatly amplified her magical abilities—scary shit, just based on what I've heard she could do before this. And of course, the Phantom cocoon deprives her of free will, so she's blindly taking orders from those three assholes. However…"

Kokonoe smirked and shut off the projection. "The Boundary is unstable, especially when its power is thrust outside of it. She can overload herself just from using magic. And when that happens, she's open. I'm pretty sure you can cut her free with Musashi without actually harming her in that case, and the Boundary won't be able to correct it."

"…Interestin' theory. Reckon I'll give it a shot." Jubei drew out the kodachi from its sheath and glanced it over. Musashi's edge gleamed blue in the sunlight, reflecting the dreary surroundings. "I'd ask if yer sure this wouldn't hurt her, but I figure we've been over that 'nough as-is."

"I'd wrench you over the head if you did. Yes, I'm sure. Her real body's not even physically present; Phantom's just a Boundary pocket for you to cut open. Anyways." Kokonoe knelt down, her palms pressed down against the ground. With a mutter, a circle of light blazed between her hands. The circle rose up into a pillar, a beacon shining over Ishana. "Alright, mother. Show yourself."

"…Magic, eh?" Jubei scowled, drawing his other sword. "Don't think I've ever seen ya use it before. Yer that—"

"Shut up and get ready to fight, she's on her way." Kokonoe pulled out a cylindrical device, and at the press of its button, summoned a circular machine to hover in the sky. At once, gravitational forces pulled from it, dragging both of them closer inch by inch. From the misty distance, a fireball blazed toward them. "Activate Graviton. Eat shit, Phantom."

The outer edges of the graviton extended, and its gravity reversed in an instant, propelling all away from it. Including the fireball, which rebounded back the other way before trailing out into embers. Dark fog heralded Phantom's arrival as she came to hover over her foes. Jubei scowled up at her. "Right then. Last time, Konoe. I ain't doin' this again. Yer comin' back to us today."

* * *

Linhua slumped forward in her chair, resting her chin on the table as she stared at the rice cooker on the nearest counter. The sight of a container of any sort sent a chill through her, memory flashing through her mind: Litchi sprawled out unconscious on the ground, the glass prison used to hold Arakune empty before her. There could be no doubt as to what happened. But who cared about Arakune right now, when the doctor lay unmoving in her own hospital bed? Clenching her fists, Linhua fought the urge to pound on the wooden table. "Why, doctor? Why does this keep happening…?"

If there ever was a time she yearned for some distraction—Bang dropping in to "check" on Litchi, or Tao attempting to smuggle away the rice—it was now. Annoyances in the past, but anything would be a reprieve. Anything to lift the heavy fog of misery settled upon this clinic. Anything to make it feel like there was a chance that things would go back to how they were before. Just… anything at all.

And is if on cue, the door burst open and Bang stepped through, sharp features furrowed in concern. "Miss Linhua. Please, tell me, has Miss Litchi's condition improved at all?"

"I… I'm sorry." Linhua shook her head as she rose. It must have been a solid fifteen minutes since putting the rice on, right? She hoped so. "I don't really know; I don't even know fully what's wrong with her. But… she still hasn't moved…"

After turning the knob of the cooker to 'off', she looked down at her feet. "…It's the Boundary, isn't it? That's what's doing this to her?"

"Indeed. The Boundary, and that foul creature Arakune." Scowling, Bang crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Mark my words, Linhua. I will see Miss Litchi freed from that monster's spell. I will bring the unholy Arakune to be purged in the fires of justice!"

"…Let me join you, then. Please." Before Bang could protest, Linhua snapped her gaze up. "Master Jubei taught me how to fight, and while I may not be as strong as you or Litchi…"

"I would be grateful for your help. Perhaps we can ask the Kaka clan to look over her while…" Bang trailed off as a door slammed. "Ha! An intruder! Come, Linhua! To Litchi's aid!"

"R-right!" Linhua bolted through the open doorway, and turned the corner to the room Litchi rested in.

But the sight of an empty bed and a missing staff left her skittering to a stop, pale and breathless.

* * *

The eternal void of the Boundary stretched in all directions, formless and incomprehensible to the naked eye. For an ordinary person, navigation would be impossible, even if one could maintain their form and sanity here. And yet, a lone figure floated through the abyss, face impassive as ever. Of course, this was hardly Relius's first time into the Boundary; the problems that would plague others mattered not to him. All he had to do was maintain fixation on the Nemesis Horizon, the portal through which he entered, and he would be able to return.

Through the swirling mass of souls, something none other would be able to see save for Izanami, he focused on one particularly bright one; he would say it was far, but distance did not exist in the Boundary. He would say that in short time, he approached what he was looking for, but nor did time exist here. But that was all unimportant; he had found her.

A physical being in the realms of the Boundary; such a thing should have been an impossibility. But this was one that had touched Amaterasu, had inherited its deific powers. She, the Alpha, would not be devoured by this hell. Relius gazed upon her naked body, her long white hair descending down to her legs. Soon, Izanami would enact Doomsday. But rather than the Embryo, her key for her world of death, the harvested souls would become one with Alpha, and she would reawaken. With the perfect being at his side, how could Relius fail to create his own perfect world?

"What is your purpose?" The voice echoed from nowhere, and yet everywhere. The grin Relius had not realized he'd been wearing melted away as he glanced around. There, in the distance; that silhouette of a girl, a sword longer than she was tall in hand.

…Thus he had no choice, Relius decided. "Ah, the Mediator. A pleasure. I will take my leave. But do not believe you have seen the last of me."

As he retreated, he closed his eyes and mind to all but the entry point. Twelve days. In twelve days, this world would be reduced to nothing, and a new one would rise to replace it.

What a glorious dawn that first day of a perfect world would be.


	7. Let Shackles Be Released

**A/N: Slightly quicker this time, and I'm currently riding high on BlazBlue hype due to Central Fiction being right around the corner, so maybe there's hope for quicker updates for a bit? Here's hoping my muse cooperates in that regard.**

**Also: bullshit pseudoscience incoming. **

* * *

"Right then. Last time, Konoe. I ain't doin' this again. Yer comin' back to us today."

No words answered Jubei, but a chilling wind gusted by him, making his hair stand on end. At Phantom's beck, large snowflakes formed and launched, their bladed edges glistening in the light as they whizzed toward Jubei. A whirl of blades sliced through the entire barrage. Rather than close in, however, he stood his ground and glared up at her. The wind howled, the only sound for several long moments.

As though reaching the end of her patience, Phantom jetted downwards, darkness blossoming behind her, abysses like scars cut into the air. White lights came to life within this darkness and lanced down at Jubei. A blur, he dashed off to the side, good eye trained on her as he circled. The lasers followed his path, while Kokonoe summoned forth a pair of gravitons to sandwich Phantom. Her advance stalled, pulled as she was from either side. "Heh. Deal with that, mother. Go ahead, try to spam spe—"

In a swirl of darkness, Phantom disappeared from the trap and reappeared high above, free of the gravitational pull. Kokonoe sighed. "Oh. Right. You can do that."

Bolts of lightning cracked down at the two of them. Kokonoe vanished in a mechanical ring, while Jubei caught them on his blade. He snarled and readied Musashi, electricity sparking on its edge. All he had to do was wait for her to overload… He stabbed the ground with his blade and allowed the lightning to discharge in safety. "That all ya got, Nine? Somethin' like that ain't enough to bring us down, n' you should know it."

As he figured, Phantom gave no answer. Instead, waves of fire scorched towards him. Well before they could reach the ground, however, a dark mass formed in the center of them and swallowed them up. Kokonoe grinned up at the shell of her mother, before vanishing once more.

So was this fight—an exercise in demonstrating how painfully adept both sides were at accomplishing absolutely nothing. Every attack, every screaming abyss and constellation of white lights, blades of ice, or fireballs from Phantom left neither the swordscat or the scientist any worse for the wear. So too did their own attacks fail to even faze the dark entity.

Soon the air had turned to a single wide abyss, the tears left behind by Phantom scattered about but seemingly coalescing into a single continuous pool of black. Meanwhile, the ground lay pockmarked with cracks and slits from Jubei's blade. And both sides stared on, unflinching. Resolute. Equals.

Phantom's attacks ceased, her figure falling eerily still. Yet Jubei did not lower his guard; anything could be coming now. A rune, little more than a spark of light, flashed from behind Phantom. Then another. Symbols dotted the air, a storm building in intensity, waiting to unleash. Grinding his teeth, Jubei darted forward, eyes on the ground. "Oh, no ya don't. Yer not foolin' me with yer illusions, Konoe."

With a grunt, he leapt up at her and slashed. But to his surprise, she faded away into nothingness. "…Guess I looked away too late, eh? Lessee what ya've got in store for me here."

A bolt cracked, and so did Jubei's vision. Phantom writhed in pain in the air, drifting downwards, as Kokonoe's voice came from the shadows. "Geez, you old fart. Did you really need to me to bail your ass out?"

"…Reckon so. Ain't what I used to be, after all." Growling, Jubei stepped back from Phantom, allowing himself ample room to counter her next attack.

The darkness etched through Ishana's sky glowed behind Phantom as she trembled in place. All of the holes in space torn by the mage charged energy, a constellation of quasars, blinding to the eye. Jubei lifted the edge of a sword to cover his good eye, doing his best to watch in spite of the brilliant display. "Right then. This is it…"

A spear of light fired from the first abyss, aimless. Although it missed Jubei entirely, it scorched a hole through the stone upon which Ishana sat. Jubei snarled; if just a single bolt struck him… But there was no time to think. More bolts fired; slowly at first, but quicker by the moment. With a hiss, Jubei flipped backward, trying to afford himself more space. With so many beams to dodge, he couldn't see himself emerging unscathed…

Another bright glow blinded him, this time from mere meters in front of him. When it faded, he found himself in shade, a silver colossus towering before him. Without warning, Kokonoe appeared at his side, grinning. "Figured she'd pull something batshit like this. So meet Silver Tager X. Not much firepower, but nothing's getting through this thing's defenses."

"Yer sure somethin' else, Kokonoe. Don't know what I would'a done without ya here."

"Died and spared me some headaches. But I think it's worth it."

And sure enough, none of the beams pierced the mech's armor. As the barrage slowed, Jubei, still grinning from Kokonoe's words, leapt out from behind the replica of Tager—he noticed its arms crossed in front of its body, a shield projecting from it—and charged straight at Phantom. That had to have overwhelmed her. And sure enough, although several fireballs formed to greet him, most fizzled out. "It's over, Phantom. I'm takin' Konoe back right now! Musashi!"

The blades in his hand and hung by his tail glowed blue. In a burst of speed that kicked up dust behind him, Jubei drew near Phantom and leapt. A black vortex formed around her, an attempt to teleport to safety—and it failed, the wormhole faltering and vanishing behind her. One slash crossed up along the length of Phantom's body; the other, a spin of his tail, cut across. As he came down behind her, two more slash marks glowed on her back. He turned back—had it worked?

A scream that would have shattered glass answered him, dark malevolence thundering with the sound. Jubei turned to look behind him, fighting oppressive unseen waves to do so. Phantom stood on the ground, body twitching to and fro, black gasses seeping from her body while dark lightning cracked all around. A plume of shadow overtook her, rising up and spreading at the top into a mushroom cloud. The lightning stopped. The scream silenced. The waves quelled. All was still, as though the entire world was watching to see what would emerge from the dark haze.

As the shadows and dust cleared, a bright pink mess of hair cut through the receding gray. A naked woman knelt on the ground, panting and sweating. She lifted trembling hands to her face, as though she were seeing such things for the first time. From where he watched, Jubei let out a soft sigh of relief, his swords falling out of his grip. Ginger, he stepped toward her. "Konoe… yer alright…"

Nine's eyes snapped over to him, and with a wave of her hand, a jet of fire pressed him back. "Stay back!"

"What in tarnation…?!" Jubei leapt back, although it was far from necessary; the flames never came close. He found himself sweating as well, panic setting. After so long, he finally had the love of his life back, and she greeted him with flame? "What's the matter, Konoe? Ya remember me, right?"

"Of course I do. Of goddamn course I do. You and the others." Shivering, Nine rose to stand, towering over the feline. With a snap of her hand, a black one-piece dress and a witch's hat appeared to clothe her. "Why did you bring me back?"

"Oh come on, mother. You really need an answer for that?" Kokonoe emerged from wherever she had been hiding, lollipop stuck between her lips. Completely nonchalant. "Don't know if you remember, but Terumi's kinda been controlling you. Here, come back to my lab. We'll get you up to speed on all the bullshit that's going on."

"You're…" Nine stared long and hard at the girl in front of her. That pink hair. Those ears. Those tails. "…Kokonoe? Is that…?"

"That's my name, yeah."

"…You've grown." Nine looked away, scowling. "You shouldn't have brought me back."

"Why? What, let me guess." Kokonoe placed a hand her hip. "You're going to say everything you did was completely by choice. You hate the world, so you want to help Terumi and Izanami fuck everything up. Is that it?"

With a hiss, Nine wheeled back around to glare at her daughter. "Don't say I want to help that murderous snake with _anything_! But you're not entirely wrong. This entire world is a lie. A lie that feeds on the suffering of those living in it. If I'm to be forced back into this world… I'll make sure it meets its end!"

Behind her, Jubei sagged to his knees in shock. His mouth felt as though it were filled with cotton, dry and suffocating. "That's… Konoe, that ain't right… yer not the kind to…"

"I've seen the truth."

With a roll of her eyes, Kokonoe shook her head. She should have seen this coming; of course nothing could actually be convenient. "You're spouting Terumi's lines. You don't like the shit he and those others are doing? Do something about them. This talk of a world of lies is just bullshit." She took a step closer.

"You don't understand anything!" With a wave of her hand, Nine created a barrier of ice in front of her. "You shouldn't have brought me back; the dead should stay dead."

"Technically, we didn't bring you back. Terumi did. We just broke you out of his control. Or whoever's control. Actually don't really know who was pulling the strings there."

"Then you should have killed me. Killed me, and let me see my sister again, instead of bringing me back into this suffering!"

"Your sister? Ah, yes. Celica A. Mercury. Supposedly vanished after the Dark War, but intelligence indicates she took up a life of solitude outside of the Hierarchical Cities." Kokonoe tapped her chin in thought. "You want to see her again? You know I could make that happen, right? Salvage her from a point in time…"

The look in Nine's eyes, wide and savage, shut Kokonoe up in an instant. Twin balls of flame erupted and swirled in her palms. "Don't. You. Dare. She did nothing, but suffered all the same. I won't let you put her through that again!"

"Okay, okay, no need to torch me, geez!" Kokonoe waved her hands, trying to calm her mother down. "Just though I'd offer. Gah, you're hard to deal with…"

Nine closed her eyes, allowing the fireballs to fizzle out. "Just go. You will not convince me."

"…Fine, whatever." Kokonoe slipped her hands into her pockets, so as to hide the clenching of her fists. The glint of sunlight on her glasses concealed the tears in her eyes. A blade had been driven through her heart at the finality of Nine's words, ethereal but unbearably painful all the same. It took all her willpower to keep her emotions in check. "Hey, Jubei, come on. I'll teleport us back to Rachel's place."

Nine turned to stride away. Before she went too far, though, she glanced back one more time. "…But I am glad to see how you've grown." And with that, she vanished into darkness.

Kokonoe just stared at the spot her mother had stood in just a moment ago. "…Can't let me respond to that, can you?"

"Kokonoe…" Slumped over, Jubei trudged back to his daughter. He had never looked nor felt so defeated in his life. "…I'm sorry…"

"…The shit are you apologizing for? Come on, let's…" But Kokonoe couldn't finish the sentence. Her quaking knees gave out and dropped her into a kneel. Leaning forward, she clasped her head, tears now running freely down her cheeks.

A scream of anguish like the roar of a bomb shattered the serenity of the abandoned city of Ishana.

* * *

"Hmm…"

Kajun's fingers whizzed about the keyboard, creating a machine gun fire of clicks and clacks as she typed. The file was full of information about Nu and her basic medical tests. Nothing unusual so far had caught Kajun's eye; nothing in Nu's blood seemed out of the ordinary. What exactly could Izanami be using to control Nu…?

"Kajuuuuun…" A voice whined from the lounge room of the lab, and Makoto poked her head in. "You about done yet? We're starving here."

"Oh, my apologies. Just let me finish recording Nu's information here and I'll prepare something." Kajun typed a few more lines into the document and rose. "Alright. That's everything, I suppose."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Unfortunately, no." Kajun strode past Makoto and beckoned her to follow. "Blood, urine and cell tests all came back normal, and various scoping revealed nothing out of the ordinary about her body." She smiled. "It's pretty amazing how close to being normal humans Nu and Noel are."

"Yeah, pretty crazy… wait." Makoto stopped and stared at her friend. "You knew that Noel's a Murakumo?"

"Not at the Academy, no. But when reporting to Kokonoe, she mentioned it to me. It's fascinating; I never would have guessed that cute little Noel was a bioweapon." Kajun led Makoto into a small kitchen and to a freezer in the corner. She pulled free, with some difficulty, a large slab of some meat and placed it atop an oven. "Sorry I don't have anything better, but least this is filling."

"Uh." Makoto stared down at the meat. It was dark and flaky; when thawed, it would clearly crumble to pieces. Certainly nothing she had ever seen before. "What exactly _is_ this? I mean, that's definitely not something sold anywhere, and any animals out here are…"

"Contaminated by seithr, yes. I believe this was ursine in origin, although it would certainly resemble no bear we're familiar with." As Makoto gaped at her, Kajun giggled. "I have various Ars traps set to catch wandering animals, and have a device that purifies the seithr tumors throughout the meat. Unfortunately, so much of the animal is contaminated, whatever good meat there is ends up falling to pieces. Hence the flaking."

"…Huh. Okay." Makoto's tail swished as she stared down the bear steak a few moments longer. "Well, better than nothing, I suppose. Thanks!"

"It's no problem. Now…" As Kajun set the temperature for the oven, she stroked her chin. "The simplest explanation of how Izanami controlled Nu would be something in her system, but that's apparently not the case. Do you know if Nu has any connection to Izanami?"

"No idea. I'll…"

"Affirmative. Unit is a copy of the body Hades: Izanami occupies." Nu glided into the kitchen. "Requesting status on food."

"About to start it, hon." Kajun closed her eyes. Maybe… "So you're a clone of Izanami. If that's the case, I have a couple ideas."

"Oh!" Makoto perked up. "What are you thinking? Come on, spill it!"

"I did not say they were ideas to be excited about. Possibly quite the opposite."

Tail and ears fell. "Oh."

"Whatever the control mechanism in Nu is, it may be linked to her genetic structure. Her and Izanami would be rather similar in that regard. It's… a stretch, but I believe it is worth looking into. I will examine her samples in greater detail after we eat."

"…Huh. So, her DNA?" Makoto cocked her head. "What're we gonna do about that?"

"Science, of course." Kajun's eyes glinted. "I… may have to run a few things by Kokonoe first, but I believe if I could isolate the segment of DNA that contains the control structure, I could modify it and cut the connection between Izanami and Nu. _If _I can find it. That may be difficult; I'd need something to do it to ever segment of DNA in her body. A vector of some kind that is injected into multiple parts of your body and works by snipping the control segment and then linking it to itself to take it away. Yeah, that should work. Only thing is, the slightest error will kill you."

Nu, who had stuck her face inches from the thawing meat, wheeled around as though snakebit. "Nu does not approve of this plan."

"It'll be fine! That particular strand only acts as Izanami's control mechanism—probably—and so modifying it won't adversely affect you! Maybe."

Makoto just stared. "…Yeah. You definitely learned from Kokonoe."

"Unit is not reassured."

"…Please trust me? I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing here; just have to create a powerful enough bio Ars. I'll contact Kokonoe, and if she doesn't okay it, I'll drop it, okay?"

Nu nodded. "Unit does not approve of methods, but will accept them due to lack of options."

"Well, if Nu's game, then…" Makoto trailed off. Her eyes bulged and her face paled. "Oh, shit. If Nu's being controlled because of her DNA, then Noel probably would be too, right?"

Kajun cocked her head. "I don't follow."

"Prime Field Device Number 12, also known as Noel Vermillion, is a clone of Hades: Izanami's host as well." Nu turned Kajun's way, biting her lip in fear despite her emotionless tone. "Logical assumption is that Noel would be vulnerable to Izanami's control as well, assuming Murakumo DNA is the control mechanism."

"…Ohhh. Oh, that's bad. Well, mostly." In spite of the rankling news, Kajun smiled. "If I can get a sample of Noel's blood as well as Nu's, I can find where their DNA coincides for the control mechanism. Possibly."

With a sigh, Makoto shook her head. "That's way too many 'maybes' already! But anyways, you don't get how bad this is. Noel's supposed to be our trump card against Izanami! Mu-12, Kusanagi the Godslayer!"

"…And said 'godslayer' is in danger of being controlled by very thing she is supposed to counter. I see." Kajun closed her eyes. All of a sudden, everything was so much direr. "…Then I suppose I should contact Kokonoe as soon as I can here. Mutant bear meat can wait."

* * *

This was the end. Her body was a time bomb, ticking away until the Boundary claimed it.

Before that happened, she would make her mark. The one thing she had to do, or everything to this point had been a waste.

Litchi would, without fail, save Lotte Carmine.

Of course, even in her best condition, that was easier said than done. And now the Boundary's corruption had reached its peak. Fire burned under her skin, lead weighed down her legs. The sclera of her eyes had degraded to black, and dark veins pumped in plain sight. Every step was a chore, every breath a needle. She should not be out here, in the wilds. But she didn't care anymore.

However, this curse had its advantages. Litchi felt the Boundary, despite Lao Jiu's buffer against its influence, and all connected to it. Including Arakune. Tracking him, once a feat reliant on luck, was now pure instinct. He couldn't be much further; maybe even over the next hill. Soon, she would have him. And maybe, with this last chance, empowered by the Boundary, she would finally break the Boundary's grip on him.

And sure enough, over the next rise, she caught her first glimpse of him. The dark mass slithered into a shadowy copse and, from Litchi's senses, didn't move beyond there. Was he resting? Whatever the case was, she had him now. She tried to break into a jog to catch up sooner, but her body refused. If she could just get to him before he moved again…

Daunting and agonizing though the trek proved, she nonetheless arrived in the grove some minutes later. Arakune was nowhere in sight, but Litchi could feel his presence, basking just under the earth. Leaning on her staff, she reached up to stroke Lao Jiu. "...Stop filtering the Boundary's influence, please. I'll need my…"

"What is this that is myself and not myself?" The scratchy voice jolted Litchi, and Arakune rose from the ground, peering at her. "Why does it come here? Should I consume, consume the me that is not me, that which is the Azure and not the Azure?"

"…Lotte." With a grunt and a wince, Litchi prepared her staff. "I've come… to take you back…"

"Return, return, return!" With a laugh, Arakune lunged forward, his body spreading out in a canvas as he drifted toward Litchi. "I become complete, devour!"

Although Litchi screamed, her body wouldn't move. Rather, her body magnetized to Arakune's. As Arakune's body closed around her, a spark of a thought struck her, and she understood what he was in an instant. And then the world went black.

But even being devoured by Arakune was not the end for her.

* * *

Grumbling under his breath, Kagura scrawled out words onto a sheet of paper. Damn Belioz, demanding these pointless updates. But no matter what the new Imperator demanded, Kagura found no inclination to tell him everything—particularly in regards to his recent group of guests. The thought brought a light smile to his lips. Even with Amane out doing whatever, coming and going as he pleased, at least they had managed to liven up this mansion a bit. Perhaps even moreso than the occasional women Kagura would bring back in drunken stupor. Although…

"Just let me tell you again—if you're betraying us to Belioz, Luna's going to make sure you never bang a woman again."

There was definitely that aspect of his guests. Or, just one of them, rather. With a sigh, Kagura just shook his head. He had long since learned to ignore Platinum's repeated threats. "Don't worry, I'm not even mentioning that you guys are staying here, or anything about Amane. All he needs to know is that we have allies against Izanami; not the details."

Carl, lounging in Nirvana's lap with his hat removed for once, reached out Platinum's shoulder. "Please, Luna, relax. Mister Kagura seems more trustworthy than Belioz was."

"Sure. And then we wake up in a shithole NOL prison." Nonetheless, Platinum plopped back down onto the couch. "You almost done there?"

"Yeah, just a sec…" Kagura finished writing the brief report. He folded the note twice over itself and recited an incantation. In a flash of flame, the paper vanished to be delivered by the Ars. "And done. So." He swiveled around in his chair to face the two of them. "If you don't mind me asking, why are the two of you involved in this anyways? Oh, and uh, Hibiki? I know you're around, you don't have to hide yourself."

Hibiki did not appear, but his voice did sound, seemingly coming from everywhere. "No, I do believe I will remain concealed as long as the young miss holds such hostility towards you, sir."

"Pft." Platinum rolled her eyes and made a rude gesture to nothing in particular. "As if you could take Luna, shorty." The girl seized up for a moment, and when she relaxed, Sena spoke. "Um… please don't take Luna too seriously here…"

"Oh yes, I positively _quiver_ at the thought of ambushing a prepubescent girl. Truly a feat beyond my meager skill."

"Enough, you two." Kagura shook his head, praying that Sena would remain in control of the girl. Not that he understood any of this, of course. "Just… answer the question, alright?"

Platinum looked down, pallid and somber. "It's… because of what Izanami's allies did. I don't want to talk about it much, but…" And then she all but leapt to her feet. "And because Master Jubei's trying to stop her, too!"

"So revenge, and because a friend is, huh?"

"Yeah. Problem?"

"Not at all. Was just curious." Kagura, now lounging across the couch with his legs kicked up over the armrest, turned to Carl. "And how about the esteemed Mr. Clover?"

"W-well… it's complicated." Carl looked up at Nirvana for a moment, before turning back to Kagura. "It's not really because of Izanami, but rather one of her allies. My father, Relius Clover."

Kagura nodded, eyes, closing. "Yeah, I've heard the name. What'd he do?"

"I know this will be hard to believe, but this…" Carl closed his eyes and drew a breath, preparing for an emotional stab to the gut. "This doll is really my sister, Ada. It was my father who turned her into this, and I'm trying to restore her."

"Your sister, huh?" Kagura flashed him a grin. "She pretty?"

"Yes! She was absolutely gorgeous!" After the exultation, Carl cocked his head in confusion. "But… why does that matter?"

"Oh, uh, no reason. But I definitely want to help you with that as well, kid." Kagura rose and waved a hand toward the back of the mansion. "Here, why don't you go ahead and start searching my library? Maybe there's something to help with your sister as well there."

"Ah!" Carl beamed. "Yes, I would love to. Thank you very much, Mister Kagura."

"No prob, kid. Hibiki?"

"Of course, sir." Hibiki at least appeared, stepping out from behind the couch, right beside Platinum, who squawked. "Follow me, if you will, Mister Clover."

"W-what?" Platinum leapt away from the couch, hands going for her staff. "When the hell did you get there?!"

"Hm. Perhaps my skills are not so meager after all."

Hibiki led Carl into the recesses of the mansion, not even bothering to grace Platinum with another glance. As soon as they were gone, Kagura sat up and stretched. "So. You said something about-"

"Shut up, Luna doesn't want to deal with you right now. Ooh, that little asshole's going to get it next time I see him…" And so Platinum stomped off in the opposite direction, presumably up to one of the guest rooms.

"…Okay then." Kagura shook his head, rising to leave. No point hanging around here anymore. But before he could even take a single step, a bell sounded. As the chime echoed all through the mansion, he jumped at the sound. A visitor? He had no idea who it could be; Amane would just waltz right in, after all. Possibly literally.

One half-minute journey to the front door later, Kagura grunted as he pulled the heavy door open. Just to the side of the door, in easy reach, waited his sword. Just in case. But as he looked upon the young girl, clad in a black dress and with long blonde hair cascading down in tails, standing there, he relaxed. "Hey there. You lost?"

"Oh, not in the least. This is where Amane has been lurking, has it not? And so you must be Kagura Mutsuki. It is a pleasure. I am Rachel Alucard. There is a matter I must discuss with you." Without waiting for invitation, Rachel stepped inside. She glanced back with a frown. "Come, Miss Vermillion. It is quite alright."

"…So, can I assume you're the other Observer Amane mentioned? Can't say I was expecting…" Kagura trailed off as Noel stepped into view as well. "Well, hello. What have we here?"

"O-oh, um…" Noel turned to him and bowed her head. "I'm Noel Vermillion. Pleased to meet you, Mister Kagura."

Simply adorable. Kagura flashed her a grin. "Hey, what's with the formality? Just 'Kagura' is fine. Let me know if there is anything you need, alright?"

"Oh! Sure. Although I don't think I do right now…"

Rachel closed her eyes and cleared her throat. "As I was saying, there is an important matter to discuss with you. Concerning the Yayoi family."

"The Yayois?" At once, Kagura's overly friendly demeanor vanished. The thought of what had happened to them churned his stomach; it was nothing he could ever forgive Belioz for. "Sure, I'll hear you out. What's up?"

"It is quite simple, really. All survivors have congregated in my mansion, as per the wishes of Tsubaki Yayoi. Unfortunately, it is… a poor choice of safe house, to say the least." Rachel gestured toward Noel. "Miss Vermillion is to be our greatest asset against Izanami. In order to fulfill this role, she is currently training to unlock a tremendous power within her—that of the godslayer, Kusanagi. It should go without saying that this is rather dangerous with so many others around."

"…Well, damn. Noel, you're quite the special girl, aren't you?" Kagura grinned, and this time took hold of Noel's hand, drawing a deep blush and a stutter. "What do you say that once we're done here, we go for a drink? I have some of the finest pre-millennial spirits one can find in my wine cellar, just waiting for an ample occasion."

"H-huh?" Noel recoiled, entire face bursting into flame red. "B-but… I don't drink…"

Thunder cracked, and Rachel glowered at Kagura. "Mutsuki. Save this nonsense for later. I do believe the fate of the Yayoi family takes precedence."

"Ah, right, right. Sorry about that." Kagura turned back to Rachel, crossing his arms behind his head. "So, what makes you so certain I'm an ally in this regard? As you probably know, the Mutsuki family patriarch is the one that led the assault against the Yayois."

"I am also aware of your disdain for your uncle. Furthermore, Amane has seen fit to trust you. If one such as he believes you trustworthy, I shall do so as well. But do be warned; you will pay a terrible price if you dare betray us."

"Fair enough. And don't worry; I'm no fan of what Belioz is doing. But how are they going to get here?"

"Worry not; I shall bring them. Miss Vermillion and I shall take our leave now; I will return shortly with the Yayoi family."

"Aww… alright then." Sporting his smirk once again, Kagura waved to Noel. "Hate to see you leave already. Come back some time, alright? I'd love to get to know you better."

"U-um… alright, I guess…" Noel ducked away, flustered.

"…Perhaps it would be wise to not bring Miss Vermillion next time." Rachel shook her head, but said nothing else as she created a dark portal before herself. She and Noel stepped through, vanishing into the maw a moment later.

* * *

"Oh. So you fancy yourself a substitute for the Master Unit? My dear, that is quite ambitious of you." Stretching an arm out to one side, Amane smirked with ease that belied the tension in his body, ready to spring should Izanami make any move in the least. "But I see you have truly shed your Imperator act. Powerful though your Ars Magus was, this should prove rather intriguing."

"Hmph. The façade was merely a necessity for controlling Take-Mikazuchi. But spare the flattery, Nishiki. Nothing you say carries a shred of sincerity. But do answer me this." Izanami pointed directly at him, while the halo behind her energized. Beams of electricity connected to the triad of blades, preparing to launch them at her beck. "Are you aware of the truth of this world? Of this lie that your mistress has conjured? Of how she will not allow this world to progress towards its impending end?"

"I am. As Amaterasu's emissary, of course I am aware of the falsities of this world." Arm lowering, Amane frowned, a storm building in his eyes. "And perhaps I should not be surprised that you are, as well."

"And still you serve her?"

"Until the end. Whether it's my own death, or Amaterasu finally waking from her slumber, it is my duty to carry out her will." Drills of cloth spun at the ends of Amane's sleeves. "Even if this world is merely a fabrication of Amaterasu's will."

"…Then you are a fool. You deny the souls of this world their right to move on in doing so. Heed my words, emissary." Grey mists billowed at Izanami's fists. "As one who governs life and death, I will not suffer this world's existence any longer. It is but the desperate creation of a girl not prepared to move on. Such a thing is a blight, one that I shall erase by my own hand."

"I will not allow it. My mistress has willed this world, and all within, into existence. Including yourself, I believe. Why an extension of Amaterasu's will has rebelled so is beyond me, but the time for pondering that is long past." And with that, Amane lunged, one of the cloth drills aiming to pierce straight through Izanami. Before the attack could land, one of the blades intercepted it. With a grunt, Amane bounced away and lashed with another ribbon. The lace struck Izanami square in the face, and left a gash in her cheek. He smirked, the oppressive atmosphere lifting from him. "So, let us dance. I do wonder if you can keep up with my pace."

"You should not worry about such trifles." Izanami wiped the blood from her cheek before lifting a hand, a blue aura rising from it. She returned his smirk, her crimson eyes narrowing. "I wonder, are you capable of overcoming this?"

In a burst of grey mist, an ethereal ribcage appeared, surrounding Izanami on all sides. At the same time, the three blades making up her halo spun together and launched at Amane. Ribbons crossed in front of him, and the blades slid past. However, a moment later Izanami vanished and reappeared a moment later, sliding at Amane's feet at high speed. Amane tossed himself off to the side, just dodging the sweep, and lashed out with a ribbon. It struck the skeletal structure around Izanami and glanced off. "…Well then. This may be problematic."

A haunting giggle answered him as Izanami sent her blades at him again. Amane hopped back, tossing out another swing of cloth, this one with a dense ball at the end. Once more, it failed to pierce Izanami's defenses, while she hovered his way undaunted. And for once, Amane's eyes widened with fear. As Izanami came near, he spun cloth around either arm and lunged. The twin drills struck the ribcage with enough force to stall Izanami's approach, but could not pierce in the least. "…What _is_ this?"

"Something a mere emissary like you could never hope to penetrate." Izanami reached out, her arms passing through the shield as though it weren't even there, and grabbed Amane by shoulder and waist. She leaned forward, bending him back. "You are a fool to challenge me, Nishiki."

With that, she slammed him hard against the ground and lifted a hand into the air. A blue sphere of flame erupted at her fingertip, and grew larger by the second. "Begone."

The miniature star crashed down on Amane, erupting into a blue plume that seared the sky. When the fire cleared, Amane knelt on one knee, covering his body in armored cloth. He allowed his defenses to retract as he glared up at her. "I'm afraid… you'll find me rather tenacious, my dear."

"…Is that so? I am afraid I have not the time to waste on you. Know my power, and tremble in its wake, Nishiki." Izanami's barrier fell, and she darted straight forward, jabbing Amane straight in the chest with two fingers.

The next thing Amane knew, he lay on the ground, gashes and blood adorning his clothing. He coughed, trying to find breath. And trying to figure out what just happened. Izanami stepped into view—he knew she had not been there just a moment ago—and placed a foot down on his chest. "You are a rather impressive fighter. But even you cannot defeat the ravages of time. What was but a moment to you, was tenfold that to me. Your soul is nearly ripe for harvest."

Wheezing, Amane tried to press against her foot, to no avail. "Well… perhaps this was a mistake… but I will not fall here. You can stop time, Izanami? Then you should have taken my life while doing so."

"Hmph. Whatever do you mean? There is no esca—" And is of on cue for Izanami tempting fate, Amane vanished. Izanami grunted and closed her eyes. "…I should have known. Amaterasu, you are watching, are you not? But you cannot interfere beyond this."

With a sigh, she took a cross-legged seat where Amane had just been. And pondered why nothing was going according to plan for her any longer. "Perhaps… I must revise my methods."


	8. Hecate's Brew

**A/N: So Central Fiction confirmed quite a few things I had in mind with the series, including for later in this fic. Time for some of what I thought were original ideas to come off as rehashes!  
**

**(Obviously, though, not saying exactly what these ideas are just yet.)**

* * *

All around Litchi, the Boundary stretched into infinity. She couldn't move; she wasn't even sure if she possessed a physical form. Rather than see or hear, she felt. But there was nothing to sense around her. The Boundary was but an abyss, featureless and boundless, and she was lost in it. If she could have, she would have curled up in terror. This had to be the end; the Boundary had finally claimed her. Hadn't it…?

"Litchi."

The voice jolted her, but still she could not see—or feel—anything. But that voice… "…Lotte? Is that you?" It took a second for it to register that she had no idea how she could speak here.

"Yes, it's me." And sure enough, an image struck itself deep into Litchi's mind: a scrawny man in a lab coat, eyes hidden behind glasses. She couldn't make out his expression, if he even wore one. "You really followed me this far?"

"Of course I did, Lotte. I promise I'll bring you back. Now that you're so close…"

"No."

"…Huh?"

"I'm not returning to your world. Not when I have the Boundary at my fingertips."

"What… what do you mean, Lotte?"

"Litchi, don't you realize what's here?" A long silence followed; Lotte's denial shocked Litchi too much for her to come up with a response. "Information. Everything about this world is stored here! Don't you see? This is what I have aspired for. I am not the failure I believed myself to be."

"But…" If she could have, Litchi would have shaken her head. "…When you've satiated your desire for knowledge, will you return then?"

Once again, silence fell. "…If I could, I would. But there won't be time for that. My body… It needs to be destroyed."

"What do you mean? Lotte, if you're destroyed…"

"I've realized the truth: I am not Arakune. If Arakune's destroyed, I will remain in the Boundary. Forever. I will have until the end of time to study and research all that I want."

"But…"

"And this needs to happen. Litchi, do you know what Arakune is after?"

"The Azure, of course."

"Exactly. And do you know what Arakune will become if he obtains it?"

No answer; even if Litchi knew, the edge in Lotte's voice would have chilled the words right out of her throat. "Litchi, Arakune is an incomplete Black Beast. He seeks the Azure…"

"…Because the Azure will complete him." Dread fell upon Litchi. "…Lotte, you have to stop him."

A sigh. "How? We are not the same entity. And you've seen how he is; he is far more in control than I. I grow more detached by the day. I could take control momentarily, but that would do little to stop his pursuit. He must be destroyed, Litchi."

"Who's to say that he will obtain the Azure anytime soon, though?"

"Ishana. A Nox Nyctores and an Azure Grimoire in the form of a man lie there, victims of a recent battle. If Arakune devours them, it's over. He may not become one as powerful as the Beast that ravaged the world 100 years ago, but it would still be catastrophic."

"That's…" Litchi couldn't say anymore. No arguments held any weight anymore; all logic said that Lotte was right. But… "But I can't lose you! Not now! I love you, Lotte! I swear, I…"

To her surprise, a laugh answered her—genuinely mirthful, rather than the condescension she expected. "I should have known. I suppose I was just always too wrapped up in my research to notice. But Litchi, you need to let go. It's over; I will never return to your world. And that's how I want it."

"…I can't just accept that… Not when I know you're alive…"

Another sigh. "…Then I'm afraid… you'll just have to forget me. It's for the best, really—logically, it would sever emotional ties you hold towards me, allowing you to more effectively rid the world of Arakune. And I will not have to worry about my research being interrupted. I can take control of Arakune long enough to make him spit you back out."

"…Wait. Lotte, what are you…?"

"I'm sorry, Litchi. But I need to do this. Please remember my final request, though. Please see to it that Arakune is destroyed."

"Lotte, wait!" But as soon as the words sounded, Litchi knew it was futile. The image of the scientist vanished, and she felt no one around. "Lotte, where are you…"

* * *

"…So this is the Gate of the Azure." Lotte stood in a white space, staring at a doorway carved into oblivion that towered high above him. "If what I saw was correct, then the Mediator…"

The point of a blade poked the back of his neck, and he glanced back. A short woman stood there, eyes narrow and cold. "State your reason for approaching the Gate."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not after the Azure. I was just wondering…"

"Wondering?"

"If you could help me disappear from everyone's memories. For good."

* * *

Utter desolation. Fields lay barren, rivers stagnated and died, and abandoned cities saw what structures remained crumble under the eroding wind. Even on the highest of snow-capped mountains, nothing stirred. These islands were the strongholds of seithr, the bitter wind that suffocated all life within its dominion. Nothing lived here anymore. Nothing moved. The only sounds under the halo of seithr in the sky were the howl of winds and the collapse of anything that stood.

So was Japan, the genesis of the Black Beast's rampage.

From high above, Nine scowled at the ruins around her. The air shimmered about her, an orb of magic forming to curb the mass of seithr seeking to swallow her in toxin. She growled; while she never had set foot here during the Dark War, this place nevertheless brought back the worst of memories. "…Tch. So many people suffered for the world to come this far, and still nothing's changed."

Still grumbling to herself, she glided down into a ruined bunker, on the outskirts of one of many desolate cities. As her feet touched down, space warped around her. What had been a dead end opened into a laboratory, red steam rising from vents. Nine strode ahead, toward the center of the room. A large round body took up most of the workshop, red bulbs growing like tumors from it at periodic intervals. And at the very top, a large jet head stared down blindly, no life in its eyes.

Nine smirked to herself as she approached. "Time to change everything. Corpus Sepulcro: Requiem, you will put an end to this cycle of suffering."

* * *

The agony, a pit in Ragna's gut, came without warning. With a howl, he collapsed to his knees on the worn path and clutched his stomach. "Shit! What the hell…?"

"Ragna!" The instant Ragna collapsed, Tsubaki draped an arm over his shoulders and knelt beside him. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I…" Something choked out any further words from Ragna. Down on all fours, he gagged twice; on the third retch, a clump of black ooze jettisoned from the back of his throat. Face pale, with beads of sweat running down his forehead, he slumped back and stared at the gunk. "What… the actual hell is…"

"Ragna…" Tsubaki's arms wound around him and pulled him in tight. "We're resting here. At least until we're sure you're okay."

"…Right. Sounds good." Groaning, Ragna leaned on Tsubaki's shoulder as she led him over to a tree by the path. "…It's something with my grimoire. Gotta be. God _damn_ Izanami…"

A scowl etched itself on Tsubaki's lips, and she squeezed Ragna's hand. "Almost certainly, yes. Amane said that he's somehow slowing your grimoire's progression, so hopefully that was just a byproduct of Izanami triggering your transformation."

"…That's gotta be the worst 'hopefully' ever. But yeah." Ragna sagged against the tree, and was immediately pulled into Tsubaki's lap. Despite his queasiness and pain, he chuckled and nuzzled his cheek against hers. "Alright, alright, I ain't gonna complain about this."

"Mmm…" Eyes closed, Tsubaki nuzzled back. Her grip only tightened around him as she rested her chin atop his head. "…Please don't push yourself, Ragna. I will do everything in my power to defend and protect you, as your shield. But there's only so much I can do."

"Ain't gonna do any more than I need to." As Ragna settled in to her embrace, he brought has hands up to cup over hers. "We're getting through this shit together. You hear me? Nothing like this is going to stop that."

"Of course it's not. Not after all you've gone through."

"After what _we've_ gone through. Man, Tsu, I love you, but you gotta stop downplaying whatever's going on with you." He dragged one of her hands up to kiss the back of it.

His words, and the light peck on her hand, drew a laugh from Tsubaki, and she leaned down to ghost her lips against his forehead. "Sorry, sorry, I know I need to."

"Right then." After a moment, Ragna sighed. "…We're having a moment, aren't we?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"You know that means someone's about to interrupt, right?"

"…Ah, yes. We are cursed, after all."

"Yep. So any minute…"

And as if on cue, Amane stumbled into existence across from them, his garb tattered. He instantly toppled over, wheezing. Blood stained his elegant robes and jettisoned from his throat as he broke into coughs. In an instant, Tsubaki released her hold on Ragna and darted to the wounded dancer, who had been in pristine shape not five minutes before. "Amane! What happened?"

"…It would seem Izanami truly is out of my league. A shame; as Amaterasu's emissary, I had hoped to have the capacity to defeat the manifestation of her soul." Despite his wounds, Amane smiled as he looked up at Tsubaki. "I appreciate the concern, my dear, but don't worry. Such wounds are not enough to kill me."

"…Why the hell did you fight Izanami, you dumbass flamingo?" Ragna stood up and tromped over to kneel beside Tsubaki. "Thought the idea was to let Noel use her Godslayer stuff to take her out."

"Well, yes, but scoping the enemy out is not a bad idea, dear Reaper. Perhaps I should have erred more on the side of caution, but I still made discoveries on her abilities we will need to overcome." Amane sat up, clutching his wounded chest. Somewhat immortal though he was, it did not mean he was above pain. "Namely, a barrier I am unable to penetrate, and the ability to stop time for all but her. Even with the Godslayer, I believe a confrontation with Izanami would be a losing battle."

A pall spread over Tsubaki's face, her arm outstretched for Amane's shoulder falling limp. "…How are we supposed to counter that? Just… how?"

"Who knows?" He sighed and looked down. "…Amaterasu truly will not allow anyone else to dictate her dream; perhaps the oblivion Izanami seeks is the only way for it to end…"

"Hey. Uh. Amane?" The back of Ragna's hand came around and impacted on Amane's dainty cheek. Tsubaki yelped in shock, but Ragna paid no mind. "First of all, don't you dare give up, goddammit. We're going nowhere if you do. Second, start making sense with all this Amaterasu bullshit. Let's start with…"

He bent down and grabbed the recoiling dancer by the collar of his kimono. "Who exactly is Izanami? You seem to be saying that she's part of Amaterasu."

"That she is. A manifestation of Amaterasu's soul." The humor in Amane's voice was gone as he glared back at Ragna. But he made no attempt to break out of Ragna's grip. "Amaterasu dictates this world's existence. I am afraid that attempting to change it from what she desires is futile."

"…In other words, Izanami might be the only one that can alter this world, since she's a part of Amaterasu." Tsubaki straightened up, scowling as she placed a hand on Ragna's shoulder to calm him down. "I'm sorry, but we can't just accept that. We will not cave before Izanami and allow her to end this world. I agree with Ragna; cut it out with this defeatist attitude."

Amane's piercing gaze darted between the two of them for several seconds, before he sighed and gave a laugh. "Even in the face of such odds, you two stand your ground and refuse to bow? Wonderful; such determination is truly wonderful. But I must ask, Miss Yayoi." At once, his gaze hardened again. "Your weapon cries of bloodlust. Whatever are you planning, my dear?"

Tsubaki grunted and stumbled a step back; Amane's mere presence overwhelmed her, a reminder that he was likely not truly human. "It concerns my family; I see no reason I should divulge such information to you."

Silence answered her; it took all her willpower to not take another step back under Amane's ire. "…If you insist. But do know: I will be watching, and I will interfere if need be. Even destroying Izayoi if I must; the weapon is taking its toll upon both your sight, and your psyche."

"I am aware. I thank you for your information, and pray for your recovery."

"…Very well then." Amane slipped out of Ragna's grasp and bowed. "I shall take my leave. Do be careful."

A moment later, he vanished. But as soon as he was gone, Tsubaki drew out Izayoi. The weapon's eye glowed as she muttered an incantation under her breath. The very air seemed to darken around them, warping in a sphere around Izayoi. Ragna glanced around, paling. "…Tsubaki? What's going on?"

"I will not allow Amane, or any other Observer, to interfere with what we're doing. Until Belioz has been slain, Izayoi will render us invisible to any phenomena intervention."

* * *

Carl sighed as he set another book back upon its shelf. "That's no good, either…"

The library may as well have been a repurposed dungeon. Thick stone bricks, all carved in rough asymmetry, made up the walls and floor. While Ars lights illuminated the rows of literature, they did nothing for the eternal chill creeping through the chamber. Even with the lights at every intersection between shelves, shadows managed to find nooks in which to dance. And Carl could have sworn he had seen remnants of medieval shackles on the walls a few times. Yet, for all its foreboding atmosphere, the library had produced nothing worthwhile so far. Of course, it had only been a few hours, but every failed lead built Carl's frustration further. With a groan, he leaned back; Nirvana's steel arms came around to hold him. "Thanks sis… No, don't worry, I'm not giving up. There's still so much to look through here."

"Do you require aid, Mister Clover?" Although Hibiki was nowhere to be seen, it came as no surprise to Carl for his voice to sound from somewhere in the darkness. It did, however, remind him that this man, mere inches taller than Carl, was not to be trifled with. "It seems you are at a loss; perhaps I could point you in the right direction?"

"Thank you, Captain Kohaku, but…" Carl shook his head, weary eyes sliding closed. "I don't even know where the right direction is…"

"You are seeking something to help restore your sister, correct? I do believe Kagura possesses some books on alchemy. For what I purpose, I cannot fathom; he has shown no patience or ability for it. But you are quite welcome to them if you'd like."

"Is that so? I think I will; thank you. But… there's something else I'm looking for, and I think it should come first. Captain Kohaku… you are an assassin, right?"

"…Assassination is one of my fields of expertise, yes."

"How would you go about killing a target whose body is immortal?"

"Immortal? How so?"

"I'm… not completely sure, really. I know his body is largely mechanical, but there seems to be more to it."

"…You refer to your father, Colonel Relius Clover, correct?"

Carl's eyes opened with a glint at the name. "Yes."

"If I had the means… I would target his soul itself, rather than his body."

"His… soul?" A shiver ran down Carl's spine; the concept struck him as ominous. He didn't even have to think of why. "That sounds like what my father does…"

"Don't concern yourself with that. Just do what is necessary for the kill."

"I…" Carl shudder, falling back further into Nirvana's arms. "But... I don't even know how to learn something like that. There has to be another way to defeat him…"

Hibiki, wherever he was, closed his eyes. "Techniques are neither good nor evil, Mister Clover. It is your decision how your soul manipulation would be used; don't lose sight of that. If you wish… I may know a place where you can learn more."

* * *

"Okay. All set."

Kajun stepped back from the makeshift satellite unit atop the bunker, its dish resting on a scatter of loosely-connected scrap metal. A stray gust of wind passed through, and the entire setup wobbled and threatened to collapse, but somehow held strong. With a snap of her fingers, Kajun grinned and wheeled around. Makoto crouched in a nearby tree, careful not to touch any of the large thorns sprouting from its branches, a side effect of so seithr-rich an environment. Nu merely stood unmoving on the metal roof, staring at Kajun's construct. "…Nu isn't sure this will work."

"Yeah, uh, Kajun? That looks… really iffy." Makoto leapt over onto the roof and approached the dish. "And uh… why are you doing this, anyways?"

"Simple. We wouldn't be able to contact Kokonoe with just a handset. Too far, and the heavy seithr would cause interference. Now…" Kajun pulled out a handheld radio and scurried back over to the satellite unit. Taking utmost caution not to even touch its haphazard base, she took a wire extending from the unit and plugged it straight into the radio. After a few moments of her fiddling with it, the device crackled to life in a burst of static. "Kokonoe, it's Kajun. Over."

"…Kajun? The hell are you contacting me for?" Kokonoe's voice came in faint, almost broken up, but it was enough for Kajun to pump a fist in celebration. Another success, of course. "…Well, whatever. Piss off, this isn't a good time."

And the radio fell silent. Still in mid-pump, Kajun just stared at the gadget for a few seconds, before scrambling to dial her superior again. She waited with bated breath for Kokonoe to hopefully pick up; a moment later, she was rewarded with an echoing "WHAT?"

Kajun blinked, leaning back away from the radio. "Um. Please don't kill my eardrums. But, uh, anyways, it's important. I've got a Murakumo Unit here, and she—"

"A Murakumo? The hell? Only ones that should be around are Nu and… well, you shouldn't know the other one."

"Yes, I know, Noel. It's Nu that's here; Makoto Nanaya brought her by."

"…That goddamn squirrel. The hell's she playing at?"

"It's simple." Tail twitching, Makoto marched up and took hold of the radio. "You're crazy."

"…And you think Kajun isn't? Ha. Well, anyways, get on with it. Hurry it up, I don't have time for this shit."

"Uh, Kokonoe?" Unclear though Kokonoe's voice was, Kajun couldn't help notice something off about it. A weight hung in her words, one that not even ire and static could mask. "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"No shit, something happened. And it's none of your business. Get. On. With. It. Or I'm disconnecting my radio."

"…Alright." Making a mental note to pry further next time she saw the scientist, Kajun nodded. "So, Nu was brought here because of Izanami controlling her or something. And we've basically isolated the root cause as Nu sharing Izanami's host's DNA. Which is a problem; if that's why Izanami can control Nu…"

"Then Noel's in danger, and we're all fucked." Something on the other end shattered, and another voice shouted something unintelligible. "Oh, shut up! Anyways. You got any ideas on this one?"

"Yes, I do. DNA reconfiguration."

"Figured that's what you'd go for. Dangerous as shit. I guess you want my assistance on it?"

"Hmm… anything to help the theory of it would be nice, but there's one thing I need more than anything. Noel's DNA, so I can compare it to Nu's."

"…To figure out what bit of DNA you need to change. Gotcha. I can send Mai over with some ideas and a sample of Noel's blood when I get back. Might be a few days, so work on whatever your idea is until then. …What _is_ your solution for doing this, anyways?"

"Injecting a vector into her system to perform the reconfiguration."

"That's dangerous as all hell, and you know it."

"Um…" From where she stood at the back, Nu raised her hand, as though she were a student in class. "Nu really doesn't like this idea. Requesting alternative methods."

"Alternative methods?" Kokonoe fell silent for a second, muttering in thought. "…Well. We could use a Cauldron to melt you down into primordial goop. From there, we can easily alter your DNA without any risk of death, and then reconstitute your body and reinstall your memories. Highly unpleasant, but shit, nothing about this will be pleasant at all."

Nu's fists tightened as she ground her teeth. "…Nu refuses. Unit will follow Kajun's suggestion."

"…The hell's with you all of a sudden? Oh well, suit yourself. Just don't blame me if you die from this. Anything else, Kajun?"

"No, I believe that's all." Kajun smiled down at the radio. "Thanks, professor."

"Yeah, whatever. Keep me updated, alright? We can't afford to lose Noel, so you had better hope you can find something here."

"Of course. I'll…" Another gust of wind blew through, and this time, the satellite dish toppled over. Kajun blinked twice at it before shrugging. "…Well. Good enough, I suppose. Makoto, mind helping me down?"

"On it!" Makoto darted forward, scooped Kajun into her arms, and made her way back over to the tree. With unnatural agility, she leapt and dropped from branch to branch, making her way down to the ground. Meanwhile, Nu simply glided down from the rooftop. "So, uh. Any idea why Kokonoe even has a sample of Noel's blood?"

"In my experience, I've found it's best not to question her at all."

* * *

"Litchi!"

Linhua's call sounded over the rolling hills and scatters of groves outside of Kagutsuchi, to no avail. Already she was almost an hour away from the city; to go much further would be to invite the danger of seithr and its creations. Still, she pressed on. Anything to save her mentor and friend here. Her fists clenched, ready for the possibility of combat, although she doubted that her brief training with Jubei would allow her to overcome… she blinked. What exactly was she afraid of?

"Linhua! At last, I've found you!" A streak of green landed beside her, and Bang broke into a sprint at her side. "Taokaka has detected Miss Litchi's scent! Come! She cannot be far!"

"Alright!" As Bang darted ahead of her, Linhua turned and followed him. The ensuing dash proved short, but the growing fear made it feel like an eternity for her. As Taokaka came into view, crouched over something hidden by the grass, Linhua put on one final burst of speed and all but slid to a kneel beside the Kaka. "Tao! What'd you find? Is it something with Litchi?"

"Meow! Fang lady, look!" Grinning in direct defiance of the grim situation, Taokaka turned around and held out her paws. A tiny black-and-white creature stared up at Linhua. "Tao found boobie lady's dog!"

A bead of sweat ran down Bang's cheek. "Apprentice number 2, I believe that's a panda…"

"Lao Jiu…" Linhua jumped to her feet. "Litchi can't be far away. Come on, let's search."

And just as she said, crossing over the next hill brought Litchi into sight. The woman lay on knees and elbows, dark slime coating her dress and skin. For a moment, Linhua stalled, taken aback by Litchi's poor state. But the shock only lasted a moment, and seconds later she came to Litchi's side. "Miss Litchi! Thank heavens you're alright. But what happened? Why are you all the way out here?"

"I… I couldn't stop it…" Litchi coughed, jet goop spewing from her throat. Behind them, Bang and Taokaka came to a stop. "That creature… I had no chance against it…"

"Creature?" Bang clenched his fists and glanced about. "Whatever do you mean? Did you chase some monster out here?"

"…Yes, I did." Litchi looked up, her eyes cleared of the darkening miasma in their whites. "But… I don't understand…"

"Understand what?"

"Why that thing… that Arakune… was so important to me."

* * *

"This would be it. The Cauldron."

Not that Hibiki needed to announce it. The volcanic glow from the pit before Carl cast a dull light on all in the room, and even he could feel the sheer energy of Ibukido's Cauldron. He swallowed; he felt like vomiting. After taking a single step forward, he glanced up at Nirvana, loyally beside him as always. Her clawed grip closed around his hand, far more gentle than one would expect from such a machine, and he smiled. "Thanks, sis. I'm nervous too, but…"

Before continuing, he turned back to Hibiki, who no longer hid in shadows, but rather walked beside him. "Thank you very much for leading me here, Captain Kohaku. I… am not sure I will like what I learn here, but I don't believe I have any further options. But may I ask you something first?"

Transfixed by the Cauldron though he was, Hibiki nodded. "But of course. I cannot guarantee I will answer, however."

"Right… I just want to know, why _are_ you helping me so much? You said on the way here, it's illegal for all but the highest members of the Librarium to be down here."

"Lord Kagura has taken a liking to you and your friends, Mister Clover. I believe he sees you as hope for the future, something he has lacked for some time now. It is my duty to see his dreams fulfilled and allow him rise to the top, by whatever means are required." Hibiki turned to Carl, a glow in his eye from the Cauldron's light. "I believe the same applies to you regarding your father. Please, see what the Cauldron has in store for you."

"Alright. But first, one more question." Carl's glasses glinted as he turned to Hibiki, obscuring his eyes. "How did you know about this?"

"Do you believe you are the only to have sought answers?"

"…I see." After closing his eyes and exhaling, Carl turned and smiled up at Nirvana. "Come on, sis. Let's see if we can get anything from here."

He strode up the steps toward the pit. With every step, he sweated faster as heat rolled over him. His steps slowed as the energy from the Cauldron increased its pressure. Static made hair stand on end, and small jolts leapt from the frame and rims of his glasses. Undaunted, he made his way to the lip of the Cauldron and looked inside, Nirvana holding his hand all the while. For a moment, nothing happened.

In a blaze upon his very mind and soul, information flowed through him. Revelations came from the Boundary in such volume that he screamed and collapsed to his knees, although his unblinking eyes remained transfixed by the Cauldron. Fragments of knowledge passed him by, teasing him with the truths of the world before slipping out of his grasp. For all the information stored in the Cauldron, he could glean nothing.

Souls. He had to focus on souls. This was the whole reason he came here. If he could just retain some knowledge, something useful… He focused, keeping nothing in mind beyond that idea. If he could control souls, he could avenge his family. He could pull Ada back out of Nirvana. He could do everything he needed! He just needed to find the information…

In a blast of white heat, the Cauldron flared up. A bolt of plasma lashed out from within and burned itself deep through Carl's eye. His cry of agony echoed through the chamber as he toppled back, a lake of blood pooling from his face on the ground. Claws, gentle as could be, gripped his shoulders, but he didn't turn to Nirvana. "…I… understand…"

He blinked, realizing his vision was blurry. One half of his pair of glasses lay on the floor before him; the other half lay in pieces, strewn around the final step leading to the Cauldron. With a gasp of horror, he seized the single intact lens and shoved it onto his face, with no regard for how crooked it was. Countless words streamed into his mind in a panic, but he smiled as he heaved his breaths. "Thank goodness… I can still hear you, sis…"

Carl turned to smile up at the automaton, holding his spectacle in place. "But I know I can…"

He stopped. Nirvana herself looked no different. But a glow lit her up, something he had never seen before. It was as though a blue fog had descended upon her—no, as if she herself released the mists. And at the very center of her body, as if he could see straight through her body, a blue orb shined bright. Carl staggered up to his fight, shivering. The other hand of his clamped over his ruined eye, still spurting blood. The glow and the orb vanished from sight. "What… is this…?"

Carl slid his hand back down; as expected, as soon as he did, Nirvana illuminated once more. Quaking where he stood, he turned to Hibiki, who stood stoic and still where Carl had left him. He, too, glowed with the blue light of life—not as radiant as Nirvana, but unmistakable nonetheless. And it dawned on Carl what he was seeing.

Their souls, just like his father before him.


	9. The Convictor

**Eight Days until Doomsday**

* * *

"_Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of one's soul is its utter permanence. From all experimentation, there is no reason to doubt its invincibility. Not even severing a soul from its body can destroy it; it seems that it merely returns to the Boundary. If one were to discover how to locate a soul and pull it from the Boundary, we may have the roots of immortality at our hands. Furthermore, the endless nature of the soul has potential applications as a power source. It would take an exceptionally powerful soul to serve as such, but it is not outside of the realms of possibility. Indeed, this is reason enough to further study and explore the enigma that is the Boundary. Experiment results and analyses are provided on page 14._"

\- Relius Clover, an excerpt from the thesis _On the Nature of Souls_, 2097

* * *

Relius stood once more before the Cauldron. Alpha was nearly in his grasp; but first, preparations needed to be made. Yes, he could wait eight more days for the fated Doomsday, and then usurp Izanami's schemes in her moment of triumph. But that was risky; if he did not claim Doomsday's souls for his own ends, all would be for naught.

So why take that risk? Why not claim the strongest soul he could, and awaken Alpha with it? Perhaps it was time he acted at last.

* * *

"Kikōhageki!"

Jin extended his free hand, the other maintaining an unsteady grip on Ookami. White energy welled up in his hand, taking several seconds to form, before lancing out in a wave. No sooner had he expelled the burst than he collapsed to his knees, panting. "Dammit, it's no good… It's all too slow and exhausting, or just too weak."

Growling to himself, he leaned on Ookami to pull himself back up to his feet. He gripped the hilt on both hands and pointed the blade forward, leaning back from it—a stance almost the exact opposite of how Hakumen held the weapon. His eyes slid closed as he entered a state of what could almost pass as meditation. With every beat of his heart, he felt the power throb in his new sword. If only he could tap into it better… "Jubei. I know you're there. Show yourself."

"…Heh. You're gettin' better, kid." Jubei slipped down from a nearby tree, chuckling to himself. "N' here I thought ya wouldn't notice."

"Hmph. Noticing a presence as strong as yours is child's play." Jin's eyes shot open, and he wheeled around to face Jubei, sword pointed straight at the cat man. "Tell me. What am I missing? Why can I not control this, when Hakumen could?"

"Now, how'm I supposed to answer that? Ain't never touched the thing myself." Still smirking to himself, Jubei settled down into a soft patch of grass, arms wrapped around the sheath of his weapon. "Course, knowin' you, yer probably tryin' to beat it into submission, ain't ya?"

"Of course. It has a will of its own; I can't let it control me, like Yukianesa did." At the mention of his old blade, Jin cast a glance back behind him. The katana was in plain sight, blade end burrowed into the ground so that it stood straight up while frost coated the ground around it. "Unless you think otherwise?"

"Reckon I do. Hakumen was stubborn as all get-out, but he also had a certain Zen to him. N' I'm willin' to bet he applied it to Ookami. Don't try n' rein it in; flow with it like a river. Might do ya some good." Purring, Jubei curled up in the grass. His eye snapped open and met Jin's gaze. "What? When yer bones get as old as mine, you'll be takin' any chance like this yerself."

"That's irrelevant." Shaking his head, Jin looked back down at the sword in his hand. "So, I surrender myself to this thing?"

"Nah, don't surrender yerself. A Nox will consume you if ya do that."

"…I don't know why I expected a straight answer out of you."

"Yer brother complains 'bout me like that, too."

"Tch. Shut up about him." After throwing Jubei a sneer, Jin lifted Ookami up before himself. As he exhaled and closed his eyes, he once more focused on the power at his hands. But he went no further; what exactly was he supposed to do with this?

But he never got the chance to think it through further. A sense of impending danger flooded his senses, and he sank back into his ready stance, eyes snapping open. At the same time, Jubei leapt to his feet, pulling one of Musashi's blades free with his tail. "Jin. On yer guard."

"Yeah, I sense it." Jin glanced between Ookami in his hands, and Yukianesa resting a good distance away. Which should he use; the stronger weapon he hadn't mastered, or the familiar blade that ate away his sanity? He had no time to think it over, so he tightened his hold on Ookami. This sensation… "…Jubei. Why does this feel like the Black Beast?"

"Yer sharp. I reckon Ookami recognizes it. But if yer worried about that, don't be. Ain't nothin' that strong." Jubei's blade slashed out of its sheath, too fast for the eye to follow, and a wave of air sliced through the foliage. With a shriek, a black mass moved through the shadows, before springing toward Jubei. As Arakune loomed nearer, Jubei snarled. "Just a failed one. Help me put it out of its misery."

Arakune's body contorted, extending into hardened spikes stabbing Jubei's way in waves. Jubei vanished from where he stood, moving so fast he may as well have teleported behind his slimy assailant. A half-second after he disappeared, the blue afterimage of a slash cut through Arakune. He howled something unintelligible before falling to the ground in two halves. Neither moved, but rather simply seeped into the ground. Jubei landed without a sound and sheathed Musashi. "Reckon that should do it."

"…What a joke. That thing can't be anything close to the Black Beast." With a derisive snort, Jin shook his head and lowered his weapon. But the tension in his blade did not abate. "Are you sure it's dead?"

"…It ain't. I can feel it." Jubei growled, keen eye scanning the ground. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't neither see nor feel any trace of Arakune. "Jin. That thing'll regenerate itself, given the chance. Ookami'll stop that from happenin'. Yer gonna have to strike it down here."

"With a sword I can't use? You ask a lot, cat." Nonetheless, Jin sank back into his stance, lifting Ookami. He growled; was this sorry excuse for a teacher actually expecting him to learn to 'flow' with Ookami on the spot? Unreasonable. It would take its toll on him, but forcibly drawing out Ookami's power again was the only way. One hand lifted off Ookami's hilt as he tapped into the sword, beckoning it to grant him power. White light formed as a speck in his palm, building by the photon into a sphere. "Come out, abomination. I'll end you."

"Jin, what are ya…" With a snarl, Jubei trailed off. No, this was probably the best choice for Jin, given the circumstances. He had never expected his former pupil to come under attack this far out, sans Izanami tracking him down. Yet here they were. "Who do ya reckon it'll target first here?"

"It doesn't matter. As soon as it shows itself, I'll cut it down." Jin's eyes closed, and he trusted his being to the Power of Order. Tension rose in his body and sword… and then broke. With a shout, he wheeled around and slashed, sending the building energy in a wave forward. The phantasmal edge cut a trench in the ground as it traveled, straight to where Arakune lunged out of the ground.

The blade cut deep, and the creature howled. But it did not abate, diving straight at its target. With a high laugh, it enveloped Yukianesa whole and dove into the ground with it. Jin grunted and tried to lift Ookami once more, only to fall to his knees in exhaustion. "The hell…? How is it still alive?"

"Ain't sure; by all rights, that shoulda done it." With Arakune out of sight again, Jubei kept his guard up. "Stand down; ya can't take much more of Ookami right now."

"It's… fine. The thing's gone." Or at least its feeling was, along with that of Yukianesa. Despite the leaden fatigue weighing down his body, Jin dragged himself up to his feet, although he had to lean on Ookami to not drop back down. "The hell did it want with Yukianesa, though?"

"Hmm… can't say I know myself." Despite Jin's words, Jubei didn't lower his weapons. "Yer sure it's gone?"

"Yes. I can't feel it anymore."

"Alright then." With a dissatisfied sigh, Jubei sheathed Musashi. "I'll hang around a bit longer to make sure, but I can't stay long. There's somethin' I need to check."

"And that is?"

"Izanami. Heard a report on what her powers are. I'm gonna test their limits myself."

"…Your suicide. But if it's necessary, then so be it." Jin's eyes glinted as they opened and glared Jubei's way. "Don't go getting yourself killed, cat."

Jubei tossed back his head as he laughed; for all of Jin's coldness, something of a heart still clearly burned within. "Who do ya think yer talkin' to? I may not be able to beat her, but I know when to back off. Well, take care, Jin. N' keep my advice 'bout Ookami in mind."

Jin snorted out something resembling a laugh. "Your advice is bullshit. But I'm sure it will make sense eventually. Be careful, Jubei."

* * *

"Here we are. The Mutsuki manor."

Tsubaki glared at the imposing fortress before her and Ragna. Somewhere in there, Belioz waited, her father's blood on his hands. She gripped Izayoi's hilt, allowing the blade to extend several inches. No mercy would be shown here. That was justice. "Ragna. I have a selfish request."

"Let me guess." Ragna cupped her shoulder with his free hand, a grim frown on his lips. "Don't get in your way, and let you deal with that jackass? You got it, unless it's more than you can handle."

"…Yes. Thank you. And dealing with Belioz should be no issue; I defeated him without resorting to the Zero Type before." Her eyes glowed with a savage light. "This time, for slaying my father, and attempting eradicate the entire family of Yayoi, he will know my full fury."

A shiver ran down Ragna's spine; should he actually go along with this? The pure spite in Tsubaki's voice unnerved him. "Right. I got your back, Tsu. Let's get this over with."

The two marched in tandem up the stone walkway to the front door, even the shadows seeming to melt away before Tsubaki's steps. She pushed the doors open and stepped through, eagle eyes searching the foyer within a moment. But she didn't need to search for even a second; a figure lounged on a couch, large sword resting on the other side of it. At the sudden burst of sunlight, Kagura sat up and blinked. "…Tsubaki Yayoi? It's been years." He grinned at her. "You look amazing; would have to ask you out if you didn't have that guy with you. What brings you here?"

"Kagura. I've come for your uncle, Belioz." Coming to a halt on the polished marble floor, Tsubaki brandished her blade. A bloom of white overtook her, and when it faded, she wore the tight black bodysuit and wielded the purple light blade of Izayoi's true form. At once, a malicious darkness seized her. "He killed my father; I've come to bring justice upon the house of Mutsuki for this."

"…Well, shit." Kagura's smirk faded away, and he reached behind him to take his sword. "Sorry, Tsubaki. Belioz is a total bastard, but he's just as much opposed to Izanami as we are. Besides, can't just let you kill the Imperator, you know? Let's talk this over; maybe we can figure out something else—"

"There will be nothing else; there is nothing to discuss." Tsubaki pointed her blade Kagura's way; something inside her screamed to strike him down. "Stand in my way, and I'll take your life as well."

Beside her, Ragna grunted. "Whoa, wait, the hell, Tsu?"

"This is justice."

"…Justice, you say?" With a sigh, Kagura stood up, falling into stance with his behemoth of a sword. "Can't say I know much about that. But something tells me that what you're doing isn't that. Not at all."

"You're right. For the crimes committed by the Mutsuki family…" Tsubaki vanished from sight, reappearing several meters ahead with a stab aimed straight at Kagura's chest. "I sentence all of you to death!"

"The goddamn _fuck_, Tsu?!" Blood-Scythe drawn, Ragna raced forward as Tsubaki's strike bounced off of Kagura's sword and she recoiled several paces. "This isn't a goddamn thing like what you were saying before! Have you…?"

Before he could say anything else, a dark figure emerged from the shadows and raced Tsubaki's way. A blade glinted, and that was the only warning Ragna got. He darted forward and brought his sword down, deflecting Hibiki's attempt stabbing through Tsubaki's throat from behind. As the smaller man bounced away, Ragna chased with a dashing punch, only for Hibiki to vanish into a shadowy flock of crows. "Don't even think about it, you little shit!"

"Yeah, seriously." With his assailant off-balance, Kagura crooked his fingers at his side to create a ball of darkness in his palm. As he threw it, he shifted his stance, leaning forward to prepare a charge. "I don't have the first idea how that's supposed to be justice. Stand _down_, Tsubaki."

"Because I _am_ justice." Before the growing purple orb could reach her, Tsubaki vanished once again. She came down from straight above, intent in spearing Kagura straight through the head. Kagura managed to step back, but at such range, he had no time to retaliate with so large a weapon. Tsubaki's blade ate into his own, carving a path on its surface, before she kicked off the ground and jetted up against him. In the air, she spiraled, cutting down at him several times before landing.

"Lord Kagura, I must insist you take leave." Hibiki launched from the ceiling down at Tsubaki, only for Ragna to once more swat at him and keep him at bay. "Allow me to take care of these ruffians; it is my duty, after all." With that, he disappeared again, keeping Ragna from attacking.

"Gah… you make that sound easy…" Despite the girth of his weapon, Kagura staggered back under the unending assault. There was no time for even the slightest counterattack; Tsubaki's movements from both ground and air were too fluid. He just had to find the right time, though. Surely something would open up…

Tsubaki's sword flared green, and a moment later, she was behind him. As quick as Kagura was to turn, her blade was faster. It bit into him, only partially deflected by his sword. His chest and shoulder opened into a wound, one that never bled as the flesh cauterized. He grunted, but kept his guard up as Tsubaki chopped down across his body. She took to the air again, gliding as she delivered a series of quick attacks, and this time culminated by disappearing. But Kagura grinned. "Gotcha. Dragon's Ascent!"

As Tsubaki appeared behind him, he launched straight upwards with a crescent slash of his blade. The sudden rise launched Tsubaki with a yelp and stunned her for a moment—long enough for Kagura to flip around and slam her back to the earth with the flat of his blade. "There! Now how about you listen to reason, eh?"

"I believe it is far too late for that, Lord Kagura." Hibiki appeared from the shadows once more, leaping out of the ground to slash at her prone body. As Ragna stepped in to strike again, Hibiki's body disappeared. "Predictably brutish."

With Ragna off-balance, the real Hibiki darted down from above, twin blades aimed at Tsubaki's heart and throat. But before he could reach her, she teleported away, leaving him to drive his blades into nothing but the floor below. A moment later, Ragna's fist came around in a haymaker and belted him in the temple, sending him skidding across the smooth floor. "And stay down, you little bitch!"

Tsubaki reappeared standing, although every breath came as a pant. "Kagura Mutsuki… as expected, you are a formidable opponent."

"Hey, Tsu." Blood-Scythe at the ready, Ragna walked her way, as cautious as he had ever been. "Cut this shit out, okay? I dunno who this idiot is, but this? This isn't the Tsubaki I know. Snap out of it already."

As Tsubaki's glare turned to Ragna, Kagura released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Can't say I know you as well as your boyfriend here, but you're definitely not the Tsubaki I knew, either. Course, the Tsubaki I knew was five, so…"

"…Justice must be upheld." With that, Tsubaki flew forward again, sword ready to cut straight through Kagura. However, before she could reach him, a large slab of stone intercepted her; she had to drop to the ground and skid to a halt to not slam face-first into it. But she knew exactly what was going on. "Belioz Mutsuki. You show yourself."

"But of course. The audience tires of this meaningless quartet." From the top of the stairs, Belioz brandished his baton and pointed it straight down at Tsubaki. "So come, Yayoi. Show me the power of your despicable blood. Let us compose one final symphony together."

* * *

Somewhere, beyond the reach of human comprehension, Amane stepped into a white void. Before him towered a large gate; by all appearances, it looked to lead to nothing more but further oblivion. But he knew better; why else would such a gatekeeper hold watch over it? "Oh, dearest Es~. Where might you be hiding, my dear?"

"Nishiki. Why have you come?" The voice came from behind, and Amane spun around to meet a girl only up to his chest in height. A long sword formed in her hands. "This place is forbidden to all but the Azure's chosen."

"Right, right, I'm aware. I was just coming to check on you." Amane stepped back away from Es, trying to stay out of range of her sword. "It's going to happen soon, you know. Doomsday, that is. And I really don't think I can prevent it; just look at what Izanami did to me."

"I am aware. You should not have fought Amaterasu's will."

"But why not? If I could defeat her…"

"You cannot, Uzume. It is not your role."

"…Fine, fine." Amane stretched, taking another step out of Es's range. "You know he'll come here, right? Susanoo. And I'm not sure if you'll be up to that task."

"It is my duty to defend this gate, even from Susanoo. I will not falter. Why have you come here, Nishiki? I am aware of all these things you speak of."

"Oh, well, just making sure, you know? Wouldn't want a cutie like yourself caught off guard." Amane turned as if to leave, but paused to give her a smile. "And, well. Just thought I'd see how're you doing. Can't fault me for checking on someone, right?"

For a long time, Es didn't respond. "…Please just go. I will be fine."

"Glad to hear it." But as Amane stepped outside of the Boundary once more, he couldn't help but sigh. "Even if you're just lying to yourself, Es."

* * *

"Captain. I've got visual on Azrael. He's definitely heading towards that weird tower." From atop a spire of stone, Bullet lowered her radio to look through binoculars again. "…And it looks like he's carrying someone with him. I can't make out the details from here, but it seems to be a man. Orders?"

"Keep pursuit." Tager's voice came through in static from the radio. "Don't let him out of your sight, but don't engage. I'll make first contact. You'll ambush with the full force of your bunker cannon."

"Roger that." Bullet shut off the device and hopped down from her perch. At top speed, she raced to close in on Azrael. Four days of hunting had led them to this, a final battle with the man—no, the monster that had slain their mercenary outfit and torn them apart. As she came closer, she slowed, lowered into a crouch to hide amidst waves of tall grass as she approached, much like a tiger. Azrael neither stopped nor looked back in her direction; a good sign.

Some time later, perhaps a full half hour of tracking, Azrael at last came to a stop. From Bullet's vantage in the grasses, she couldn't make out what halted him, but a familiar voice confirmed her hopes. Tager. "Azrael. It's been a while."

A laugh answered him as Azrael tossed Voivod, limp over his shoulder until now, off to the side. "The Red Devil. I'm sure you wish you could have taken me in while we were at that bloodsucker's place. Too bad for you."

"Indeed; it would have been far better to have taken you in then and there. I see no reason we should have allowed you to walk free, regardless of what you accomplished at Ishana. You're too volatile." Tager shifted his focus to Voivod, who still hadn't moved an inch. "What have you done to Voivod?"

"Heh. Quite the interesting thing, isn't he? A being that can never die. But he was too noisy. So, I broke his jaw, and he's been quiet ever since."

Bullet crept closer, letting the flames of her Armagus build up as high as they would go. Meanwhile, electricity sparked in Tager's gauntlet. "You maniac… Tell me. Do you remember a mercenary squad in Naobi during the Ikaruga War?"

"Naobi? Nah. Can't say I do." Azrael threw his head back to laugh. "Must've been a pretty pathetic mercenary group if they couldn't even give me a good fight!"

From where she hid, Bullet growled. How she longed to launch out right then and there and blast Azrael into oblivion. But she held her temper; she needed to get closer to take Azrael by surprise. Her Armagus shook; it wouldn't be able to contain this power for long. For Tager's part, his only change of expression was a narrowing of his brow. "Azrael… I will not let you mock my unit. I may not remember what happened, but…"

Tager's voice went cold, and electricity coursed through his body. "The very sight of you fills me with rage. And now I know why. Azrael! You won't be leaving here!"

For just a second, Azrael's grin faltered as Tager's unbridled rage washed over him. But it passed in the blink of an eye, and once more, his cackles rolled over the plains while he cracked his knuckles. "Wait, wait, wait! Now I remember! You were that cowardly shit that—"

"Shut the hell up!" Unable to take it any longer, Bullet leapt forward and came down in a two-legged dive kick at incredible speed. The blow caught Azrael square in the chest and crushed him to the ground before dragging him across the hard ground all the way to the nearest stone spire. She took hold of his mane and pulled his dazed form up, staggering from his immense weight. But it did not keep her from delivering a pair of hard punches to the gut before pressing the white heat of her gauntlet to his forehead. "I'll blow you to pieces, you bastard! Frangible Engage!"

The Armagus roared, and an explosion launched him through the rock wall to skid across the field. Bullet dashed after him, catching up with running clothesline before grabbing him again. With every ounce of her strength, she lifted him overhead and lifted her weapon again. Fire blasted skyward amidst the weapon's cry, and the eruption carried Azrael skyward. In a tremendous bound, Bullet leapt after him, the gauntlet ready to fire again and deplete all the power it had built up. Its last song drowned out Bullet's cry of rage, and the incendiary burst blasted Azrael to the ground, cratering the soil from the impact.

As the field ignited all around her, Bullet panted and clasped her shoulder. She had almost certainly torn some muscle from the effort of dragging Azrael's girth around, but if she had taken him out in swift fashion… She took leaps back, away from the building inferno amongst the dry grass. "…Take that, you bastard. For what you did to us all…"

From where he watched several meters back, Tager stared in awe. "…I must apologize, Bullet. I did not realize you possessed such destructive capabilities."

"Heh…" Although exhausted, Bullet managed to turn and give him a grin. "We were hired for that job for a reason, you know. I doubt there was a stronger merc unit involved in that war."

"Well now." The voice came from the bed of fire, stunning Bullet's words and smile into oblivion. A silhouette rose amongst the flames, striding closer and closer until Azrael stepped back out. The jacket he wore as a cape and his pants had both largely burned away, but a manic grin glinted in the firelight. Waves of crimson exuded from his body as he walked, devouring the flames and keeping him from acquiring further scorch marks. "Gotta say, that was quite the hit. Maybe if more of your unit could've done that, they might have been an adequate meal. Who knows? I might've let one or two of them go if they could've halfway entertained me."

He came to a stop, the tattoos around his body disappearing. "So, that was your best shot? Let me show you mine."

"What… what the hell are you, you monster?" Bullet roared and ejected a bolt of flame from her gauntlet, a trail of fire burning toward Azrael. But before it came even close to him, he stepped forward and vanished. A blink of the eye later, he reappeared in front of her, his fist smashing into her ribs. She doubled over, a spray of blood ejecting from her throat. "Wha…"

"Just a hunter looking for worthwhile prey. You should be honored I'm lifting my restrictor some for you." Azrael charged into a heavy knee, strong enough to fling Bullet skyward while he disappeared again. This time, he came from behind, barreling through the air. He tossed out a punch, a haymaker straight, and plowed the blow right into her back. She flew through the sky, crashed into a cliff side which cracked from the impact, and fell limp while Azrael dropped safely to his feet. "But you're still not good enough."

"Bullet!" Tager lugged himself forward, unable to have done anything but watch on as his subordinate was tossed around as the she was nothing. Growling, he took up all the energy charged within him, and fired it off as a ball of electricity at Azrael. "Azrael, you bastard!"

"Phalanx!" The aura surrounding Azrael lanced out to meet Tager's electric blast, and pierced straight through to disperse it. The bolt struck Tager straight in the chest and dropped him to his knees. Chuckling to himself, Azrael sauntered his way. "You know, Red Devil. Being captured by you made me realize something. Maybe I wasn't taking things seriously enough. But now? Well, do you really think I'm going to go as easy on you as before?"

As Tager grunted, trying to pull himself up to his feet, Azrael came to a stop, towering over him. "Like I said before… you really should have captured me again when you had the chance."

* * *

"Hey, Kajun. I'm stepping out for some fresh air here. Let me know if you need any help, alright?"

Kajun, sitting over Nu's sedated form, turned to the front door of her fortified lab, where Makoto stood, waving. "Of course. Please don't stray too far; there is no telling what's out there, really. Oh, and I got word from Kokonoe. Mai will be here pretty soon." She winked. "Maybe we should be prettying up for Team Remix Heart's big reunion."

With a chuckle, Makoto shook her head and grinned. "It won't be a proper reunion until we get Noel and Tsubaki over here."

"True enough. Really can't wait for that." Kajun offered Makoto a wave before swiveling back around to look down at Nu. "Well, take care. And let me know if you need anything."

"Will do!" After returning the wave, Makoto skipped outside. With superhuman agility, she leapt halfway up the cliff side and gripped a notch in the sedimentary sheet. Just from that grip, she managed to fling herself the rest of the way to the top of the canyon. Once at the top, she sprang once more, straight to the top of a tree. With a wide smile, she stretched in the breeze and stared across the nearby ocean. "Man… Kajun's got such a great view here. So different from what we get in the Cities… We really should be trying to clear out the seithr at these lower elevations…"

Sighing, she slipped backwards, hanging upside down by her knees from the branch she chose as her perch. "Heh. Reminds me of that team at the Academy we all ended up at that beach. Sure wish Noel and Tsubaki were around to see this."

"How unfortunate for you, then, that you will never get such an opportunity." The calm voice almost shocked Makoto into falling out of the tree. Relius stood on the clifftop, collected as ever as his cape blew in the breeze. As soon as Makoto dropped to her feet, he offered a brief bow. "Hmm… I do not believe we have been properly introduced, Nanaya. I am—"

"Relius Clover, yeah, I know who you are." Makoto leaned into a boxing stance, her fists raised to chin level while she bounced her weight from foot to foot. "What do you want?"

"Why, your soul, of course. I saw it in Kagutsuchi—the most powerful spirit imaginable. I require it for my plans."

"…Yeah, uh, how about no?" Makoto clashed the twin tonfas under her coat together, and a shimmering orb sparked into existence. A punch sent it bowling toward Relius, while she turned and raced the other direction, trying to make her way toward the maze of seaside badlands surrounding Kajun's lab. If she could lose this total creep… "Whoa, what the—?"

A red and white mannequin of woman stabbed toward her with twin spikes replacing her arms. Makoto leapt the sudden attack, and a pair of illusory clones took to the air as well. But no sooner did she land than Ignis came back her way, spinning amidst a saw blade. Grunting, Makoto caught the attack on her weapon, and followed with a dashing straight to send Ignis reeling. From somewhere nearby came Relius's voice. "How futile. Ignis does not rely on such base senses as sight to track her target. I am afraid you'll have to do better than that if you wish to escape."

"Yeah, okay. Well then." Makoto took a deep breath and closed her eyes, before spinning and throwing a punch back the way she came. A gargantuan celestial fist struck Relius from where he watched and tossed him flat on his back. Before he could get up, Makoto dashed his way and took to the air. "I guess I'll just have to show you a little squirrel power!"

"Foolish." As Makoto dove at him from above, Relius spun to the side and dodged with little effort. He brought an arm around, and with it came a lengthy blade, its dagger-like protrusions spinning like a chainsaw. While she managed to step back from it, Ignis came down upon her, spinning her bladed arms in a wide circle. Makoto rolled under, only to meet a clamp-like blade catching her from below. It snagged her by the leg and pulled her to the ground. "No matter how strong your soul is, it means little if you are unable to suitably use it. Come with me."

"Tch…" Makoto glared up at Relius, trying to wedge free of the grip even as it bit deeper into her thigh. Under her coat, she pressed the solitary button of a small remote. Now to buy a little time. "So. What do you need my soul for, anyways?"

"To bring to life my perfect being, with which I will create my perfect world. I have alternatives, but none without risk. Claiming your soul to awaken Alpha is the most logical decision." Relius stepped forward, raising a hand. A white wisp flowed around it; something about it chilled Makoto to the bone as he reached down toward her. "Your contribution to my ideal will be—"

A beaker, lobbed from somewhere out of sight, smashed over his head, spilling its clear, burbling liquid all over his body. With a grunt, he straightened up. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, not much." A voice all but sang, and Kajun shimmered into existence behind him, arms crossed and each hand holding three more containers. "Well. I guess you're about to melt, though. That might be something significant."

"What do you…" Relius's words caught as a light burn rose on his skin, before intensifying into a blaze. For once, his cool demeanor shattered as he growled in pain, falling to his knees. Before his very eyes, the liquid ate through all it touched, burning holes through his clothes and skin. "…This is… impressive… you are Kokonoe's protégé… are you not?"

"Indeed. A concealment Ars while you explained your sinister masterplan to Makoto like a cartoon villain, and then a vial of strongest acid I could muster. I'm not exactly a fighter, so I have to resort to stuff like this." Kajun smirked as the bladed clamp released Makoto. "That acid is almost like lava in its ability to melt things, by the way. Super dangerous to even have around. But it'll burn through any person it touches."

"I see… fascinating…" For a moment, Relius slumped over, as though unable to move. But then his body straightened back up, unnaturally smooth, and he turned around to face Kajun, whose face paled to chalk white in an instant. His arms, chest and back had all been burnt through, and where there should have been ivory bone was instead green and silver robotics. Metal organs pumped and pulsated, weapons lodged between adamantine bone twitched and whirred, and no sign of blood flow shown in the exposed cavities. One side of his face had peeled away, revealing iron cheek and jaw bones below the flesh and giving his smirk a nauseating light. "However, I believe you have miscalculated. In my journey to find perfection, I have brought myself to the brink of immortality. Even without Izanami's blessings."

"…Well. Can't say I accounted for this." Kajun blinked, looked over the variety of vials in her hand, and turned back to Relius. "So, uh, if we ask nicely…"

"I'm afraid you have consigned yourself to die beside your friend here. You do realize what a task repairing this damage will be, do you not?" Relius snapped his fingers, and Ignis floated down to his side. "Ignis. Terminate the scientist. I will deal with Nanaya myself."

"Like hell you will!" Grinding her teeth, Makoto scrambled up to her feet and came at Relius with a heavy punch. The blow struck one of the exposed metallic ribs, but didn't manage to bend it in the least. "So if my soul's this strong or whatever, what's stopping me from kicking your ass, huh?"

"Hmm… quite the change, once your friend is threatened." Relius jabbed at her, a small saw whirring from between his fingers. A blade nicked her, leaving a cut across her cheek. "But I doubt you will be able to solve my immortality. Were you able to harness the Power of Order, perhaps you could. But such strength is wasted on you."

"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Kajun stumbled back and tossed a vial at Ignis. The resulting explosion slowed her down, allowing Kajun to escape her ripping blow. "I thought Kokonoe was big on jargon, but at least I could make sense of it."

"Not the time, Kajun!" After glancing back to make sure Kajun was well, Makoto formed clones once more, this time pressing forward along the ground. But no good; Relius caught her by the throat, completely seeing through the trick. "Grk! Let… go!"

Before Relius could do anything more, she clanged her tonfas together again. The orb of force that formed pushed between them, pulling Makoto free of his grip. She sunk back to Kajun's side, panting. "Man… you see right through it too, huh?"

"I can see through to your very soul, Nanaya." Relius straightened up, Ignis coming back to his side. "Such doppelgangers possess no such thing; your tactics are useless."

"…Great…" Makoto sighed. Power couldn't faze him, and her brand of trickery couldn't fool him. Just how was she supposed to fight this man? She turned to Kajun, eying her beakers. "Got any ideas at all here?"

"Hmm…" Kajun tapped her lips in thought, her eyes trailing upwards. "Look to the skies?"

"…Wait, what do you mean?"

A moment later, a bolt of red flew down and pierced all the way through Relius's body from behind. As he gasped and lurched forward, the weapon turned and flew back the way it came, too fast for anyone to identify it. A blue-haired girl caught it in mid-air, revealing the weapon to be a long, red spear, and dropped to the ground in front of Makoto and Kajun. "Makoto! Kajun! Are you guys alright?"

"Perfect timing, Mai." Kajun pointed at Relius with one of her beakers. "Please, help us dispose of this man."


	10. This Isn't What We Meant

**A/N: I can hardly remember the last time I updated twice in the same month.**

* * *

Parallels. Any given choice branches into an infinite number of alternate realities. But no matter how far these realities differ, constants remain. In another world, a parallel to the Grim Reaper fought against his own fate. But whatever became of him and his fight?

* * *

Tsubaki glared up at the man waiting for her at the top of the stairs. For nearly half a minute, the only sound was the hum of her sword. Her eyes narrowed as she ground her teeth. Belioz, smug and fanciful as ever, held his own glare, while the others present could only wait on bated breath for one to make a move. Tsubaki vanished, and the weighing tension shattered.

"You bastard! In the name of my father, I will see you dragged to hell!" Tsubaki snarled as she brought a full slash of her glaive across Belioz's chest, only missing cutting him down on the spot by virtue of a stone wall rising from the floor to protect him. She grunted and kicked the barrier down, before jetting his way with a heavy stab at the chest.

"Gah!" Belioz leapt to the side, backing towards a hallway. Still, despite the assault, he turned to give her a derisive smirk. "You are truly a fool, Yayoi. You could not have chosen a worse battleground. This manor is my castle and fortress; it is composed and decorated entirely to amplify my abilities. Perhaps I should play you a prelude?"

Before Tsubaki could strike again, Belioz swished his conductor's baton. At once, the floors shifted and large spikes of clear quartz stabbed at Tsubaki. She leapt to the air and tried to fly out of the way, but more crystals came down from the ceiling. She spiraled to the side, and the first group of crystals lanced closer toward her. Unable to find anywhere else to dodge to, she flew backwards, back down the flight of stairs. As she landed, Belioz gave a laugh. "Pathetic, as expected of a Yayoi. Every inch of this manor can produce the essential building blocks of all silicate minerals, the cornerstone of my attacks. There is no escape; you and your consort will die here."

"Tch…" Tsubaki growled. The thick crystals created an impenetrable barrier, the gaps too narrow for her to fly through. But she was granted no time to think it over; the floor beneath her feet rumbled. Without any more hesitation, she teleported again, coming up well behind Belioz this time; a moment later, a geyser of crystal erupted right where she had been. She slashed from a distance, and a quintet of green blades launched his way. But once more, a stone wall rose to block the attack. She landed, snarling in frustration.

"Stymied, are you? This is the difference between a truly noble family, and your inbred plague of a clan." Belioz swung his baton downwards, and heavy stalactites smashed down toward her. "Your father was a pathetic fool, and you are nothing without that weapon you bear. You never should have stepped foot within these walls, but your lust for justice and blood has done you in."

"Shut up!" Tsubaki appeared straight above him and dropped like a stone, leading with her pike. The laser narrowly missed as Belioz sidestepped out of the way. Tsubaki swiveled and lunged to stab at him; Izayoi pierced most of the way through the rock wall Belioz summoned in defense and managed to singe his mustache. "I will not allow you to speak of my father like that."

"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter, pathetic girl." Belioz swished his baton back and forth; all of the rock walls he had summoned rocketed toward Tsubaki. As soon as she predictably teleported away, he flicked it upwards. The moment Tsubaki phased back into existence, two crystals from below met her, sending her spiraling out of control until she impacted against the ground. Belioz merely sniffed. "As I said. You are nothing. Die, you blight upon the Librarium, so that we may not suffer your existence any longer.

Tsubaki yelped as she hit the ground. Her blade shifted from green to purple, signaling a loss of power. As she rose to her feet, she could only stew. She had never expected such power from this man, and she cursed herself for assuming an easy battle had awaited her. But she had to win this. Justice could never fail. As she looked up, Belioz swung his baton in an arc her way, and a trio of large, spiked stones launched at her. She speared one through and destroyed it, wincing as the shrapnel tore into her skin, but stared Belioz down, resolute as ever. She held up Izayoi before her, basking in its glow as she focused all she had on drawing out every bit of energy the weapon had. "Belioz Mutsuki! Prepare for your judgment! Freedom Justice!"

As though kicking into an overdrive of sorts, energy rushed through Tsubaki's blade. At the same time, however, a deep, leaden pain pierced through her eyes. She winced, but darted forward, leading with a slash. A bolt of green split the air, a horizon outburst from Izayoi, and even though Belioz summoned another wall to keep it from piercing through, Tsubaki vanished and came from the other side. Another wall halted her attack, but once more she disappeared and attacked where the first wall was still crumbling. This time, her attack hit him, slashing across Belioz's back and sending him bouncing into the nearby hallway. Without the slightest delay, Tsubaki pursued him.

Back in the foyer, Ragna, Kagura and Hibiki had hardly moved while the battle raged. With a sigh, Hibiki closed his eyes. "Lord Kagura, am I to assume that the task of clearing out all this rock will fall on me?"

Kagura just shook his head. "Nah. Let Belioz clean up his own mess."

Ragna snarled at the two of them before racing up toward the stairs, intent on keeping Tsubaki in sight.

* * *

Tager growled up at Azrael, clutching his wounded shoulder. For a moment, his gaze flicked over to Bullet, still lying prone and motionless in the distance. God damn it; how could this monster have taken such a blast and remained standing? And now, with his limiter lowered, what the hell was Tager supposed to do? But churning anger within, simply from staring this barbarian in the face, pushed him toward an answer. "I don't care how strong you are."

"Oh, really?" Azrael laughed, before stepping forward. In a flash, he covered the entire distance between himself and Tager, and launched into a heavy punch to Tager's just, sending the hulk sliding backwards, doubled over. "What, you think you're gonna be able to beat me just by being mad enough? Come on, then! Show me your rage, Iron Tager!"

"Very well. Overclocking core! Voltech Veil!" Tager roared and arched backwards as internal power sources whirred and increased their output. A visible field of electricity crackled around him, stray bolts launching off to strike nearby objects; one jolted Azrael in the forehead and made him step back. Tager growled as he lumbered forward. Two minutes was all he had now to defeat Azrael, but this was his only potential recourse. "You're mine! Terra Spinner!"

He spun forward into a lariat, fist extended like a flail coming down on Azrael. As he expected, his foe disappeared. But that was all according to plan; he had fought this monster in the past after all, even defeated him. Azrael had the power advantage—but that alone couldn't make him invincible. Tager's spin continued, and as he came around a full 180, his open palm caught Azrael, just appearing from his attempt to flash step behind Tager. Before Azrael had a chance to realize why electricity ate into his body, Tager finished his spin and tossed Azrael at full strength into a distant pillar. The stone shattered from the impact. But as the dust settled, Tager trudged forward. "Show yourself, Azrael. I know that didn't defeat you."

"You piece of shit…" Azrael appeared outside of the cloud, heaving. Scorch marks crisscrossed his body, mementos from Tager's electric shroud. Even as he stood still, the enormous magnet known as Tager drew him closer. He licked away some blood that trailed from his eye down past his lip, and grinned. "Now this is what I'm talking about! Come on! You still haven't done half of what that girl did!"

"You're living up to your name, Mad Dog." Tager extended a hand as he advanced. The electricity pulsed in his palm, projecting a barrier in case Azrael had any further ranged attacks ready. "As much as I wish I could refuse to give you what you want, you need to be brought down, here and now."

"Oh? Try it. Here, I'll even get in grabbing distance for you." Laughing, Azrael appeared right in front of Tager and threw a punch in a burst of his oppressive aura, holding no regard for the electric field around Tager—it was just another thing for him to defeat, after all. When Tager caught the punch with his extended hand, Azrael only laughed. "Nice catch. How about _this_?"

Azrael's leg came back, and a cloak of dread covered Tager. He released Azrael's, only for Azrael to grab him by the wrist and pull. The kick came, a powerful shot straight at Tager's shoulder joint. With Azrael pulling on the arm, the blow jolted Tager backwards; a metallic groan came from the joint, and Tager roared in pain and collapsed to his knees. Foot still pressed on his opponent's shoulder, Azrael snickered. "Come on, is that the best you got? Just some electricity? Gonna have to do a lot more if we meet again."

He jammed his foot harder against Tager, and this time the groan of breaking metal came with snaps from cords and cables breaking. Still roaring incoherently, Tager swung his other arm around, only for Azrael to effortlessly block it with his free hand. "And now!"

"Captain…!" From the grasses, Bullet stumbled forward, trying to kickstart her Armagus again. "Let him go, you…!"

Another kick, and this time Tager launched back, while his arm remained in Azrael's grip. The Mad Dog clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Welp. Looks like I broke it. Here, you'll need this when you go crawling back to Kokonoe."

As Bullet watched on in silent horror, Azrael tossed the disembodied arm back to where Tager lay. However, to the surprise of both, Tager sat up, heaving and shuddering while electricity continued to flow rampant around him. He fixed Azrael with a glare, his glasses gone to reveal mechanical eyes. "Melt… down…"

Everything went a blinding white, and the roar of thunder washed over the plains. A shockwave lifted Bullet and tossed her back, just before a tsunami of electricity pulsed out from Tager's body in all directions. Azrael stood his ground snarling, before being swallowed in the electric ocean. His roars joined Tager's for a moment… and then all fell silent.

From where she lay, Bullet groaned as she tried to look at the result of Tager's attack. In a perfect circle around Tager, all details of the landscape had been eradicated, leaving behind smoldering waste. Both combatants remained upright, smoke wafting from their bodies. But while Tager soon toppled over, depleted of energy, Azrael wobbled up to his feet. He stumbled a bit, his knees trying to give way. "Shit… I underestimated you, Red Devil… but it wasn't enough… heh."

"Captain…" Tears welled up in Bullet's eyes as her commander remained unmoving. After so long, she had finally found a place to belong again. And now that security blanket lay comatose, perhaps worse, amidst greyed destruction. She dragged herself forward toward Tager. "Goddammit… this isn't supposed to happen…"

"Stay back." Azrael turned to her with a scowl, all humor gone. He gestured toward the grey circle he stood in. "This whole area's radiated from that attack. You're probably fine right now, but getting too close… Well, I'd hate to see good fighter like yourself die to this shit. I mean, it might already be too late, but-"

"Screw you!" Bullet tried to leap forward, but stumbled back onto her knees; blood ejected from punctured lungs as she coughed. She rose as high as her body could take, snarling at Azrael. "I'm gonna…"

"You're doing nothing like that. Face it; you've lost. You two got me pretty good, though." Azrael looked over his body. Hardened, cracking red rose all along his skin, burns from the electric burst. Every movement delivered pain, but it was nothing he couldn't take. Breathing heavily, he dragged himself away from Tager, towards where Voivod lay. "If you ever think you can take me again, come find me. I'll fight you anytime; you're too entertaining for me to just kill."

"You… bastard…" Bullet collapsed all the way to her stomach, slamming a fist on the soil while just allowing the tears to flow at last. "I'll kill you one of these days…"

"Yeah, uh, you're never going to be able to touch him, you idiot." In a flash of light, Kokonoe appeared beside Bullet. Two red gauntlets gleamed from either arm. Several balls of fire descended toward Azrael. With a scowl, she looked down at Bullet. "I'll took care of Tager. You go and drag that traitorous piece of scrap metal over there, and drag his ass back here. Got it?"

"…Who's…?" But it really didn't matter who it was in the distance, lying motionless as he had all battle. Bullet tossed Kokonoe a glare and scoffed—how dare this scientist give her orders? But… "Whatever. Just take care of that bastard…"

As Bullet picked herself up and trudged toward Voivod, Kokonoe turned her sneer toward Azrael. As she expected, he had simply flash-stepped his way out of the fireballs' path. "Geez, you really did a number on Tager, didn't you? At least he's still got life signs; emergency power, though. Damn. That and the arm's gonna be at least two full days to fix. After I lock your ass back up in the cryo chamber again, you asshole."

"Well, well. The great leader herself, huh? I've been waiting for this chance." Azrael blinked himself closer, the thrill of coming battle clouding the pain of his burns. "Come on, then. Let me see what a genius brings to a battle!"

* * *

Rachel huffed and shook her head. "Are you even trying? You must clear your mind, Noel. You will not be able to summon the powers of the Godslayer otherwise."

"I know, I know…" Noel gave a whine, before closing her eyes again. She settled into deep breaths, with several full seconds between inhaling and exhaling. With just a few breaths, calm overcame her, and she turned her mind to her goal.

One by one, she thought of all her friends—Tsubaki, Makoto, Jin, Ragna, Rachel, Mai, Kajun, Nu. And as each one came to mind, she cast them out just as quickly, focusing only on a single nexus: herself. She envisioned herself in the Godslayer's garb, tried to focus on the power lurking within. The darkness of her thoughts lit up in blue. She had come this far before, but every other time, the sudden burst of azure distracted her.

This time, though, she maintained focus, even as it brightened. In her mind, Mu moved further and further away. She wanted to call out, tell her alter ego to stop, but she feared doing so would break this spell. Instead, she just focused all she had on Mu. After all, Rachel said she was the Eye, so even Mu should bend to her will, right? Maybe she didn't quite understand it all though…

The blue broke, swallowed in a sudden burst of white. Before her waited a massive white gate. At once, a terrible dread overcame Noel. This wasn't just the fear for her life—something Lovecraftian in its power waited beyond that gate, something that no one should ever unleash. A moment later, she realized she was screaming. She silenced herself, looking down at the grass while heaving, while sweat poured down face. "Wha… what was that…?"

"Noel! Are you quite alright?" Rachel kneeled before her, a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me, what did you see?"

"A…" Noel curled up into a fetal ball, shivering. Just what was it about that gate that struck her so full of terror? "A gate… a gate in a white void… I saw Mu go into it, and…"

"A gate, you say? Then I suppose you are making progress." Rachel closed her eyes and curled her lip. "Did you see anything else?"

"N-no, I didn't. I'm sorry…" Noel whimpered. "What is that gate, though…?"

"Unless I am much mistaken, it would seem to be the Gate of the Azure. I do believe even your feeble mind can grasp the significance of such a name. Noel." Rachel extended a hand to raise Noel's chin and look her in the eye. "I know you are scared, but you must be strong. It is vital you open that gate."

"What's… behind it…?"

"The Azure itself, of course. Doing this will allow you to harness the power of Kusanagi."

* * *

What was justice?

The question crossed Tsubaki's mind as she flew toward Belioz. Her target rolled to his knees, a hand on the ground as he glared at her. The ground under his feet roiled back and dragged him away, and spikes of quartz jutted out from the walls. But Tsubaki didn't slow down. She dodged almost before the lances registered in her mind. Instinctual movement, almost as though she were guided by some force.

Clearly, what she was doing was just. All the fires of righteousness burned through her veins, and all could only lead to one conclusion. Every dodge, every weave, every blink out of existence to evade the stones, the spikes, the walls of rock was but part of the inexorable stream that would lead to her vengeance.

Vengeance? That was justice? Or was 'justice' just an excuse for Tsubaki to vent all her rage and hatred into killing this man? Grinding her teeth, she shook off the thought. No, of course this was right. Belioz has not just taken her father; he had sought to exterminate her entire family, as though one would do to termites.

A wall of rock descended from above before her, and she growled. Clearly Belioz had no further intention of fighting head-on, and just wished to slip away and ambush. She would not allow this serpent to slither free. She touched down and bolted forward with a slash, cutting straight through stone. Pebbles and gravel ate at her skin, but she didn't care in the least. Rows of rock shredded toward her, and she took to the air again.

Of course destroying those that wronged her was justice—those who wronged period, in fact. But who was to be the objective judge of such things? As she slashed through a trio of large stones hurled her way, she snarled. Why was she thinking about such things now?

Because the weight of her wrath and anger pressed too heavily to ignore. No matter how much she tried to force the notion aside, it lingered. White-hot anger, not any sense of justice, controlled her actions—she could feel as such. But if delivering this man to the fires of hell was not justice, then what was?

She cut through two more spires of crystal. Not far before her, the hallway came to an end. As fast as Belioz made the ground below him retreat, it was nothing compared to the Zero-Type armor. Already, Tsubaki had closed in enough to see his face pallid and sweating, Belioz clearly realizing the futility of his retreat. Soon, justice would be served. And that's what this was.

So why did her eyes burn so bad? Why could she not see straight? What sacrifice was she supposed to make, and how could she remain a pedestal of justice if this was the toll? Her own words came back to her, delivered to a misguided soul also seeking justice, what felt like a lifetime ago— "You help those you can and stop what evil you see." Of course, that was it. Even if she had to sacrifice all she had to this ideal, if it saved one person or annihilated one source of evil, all was worth it.

Belioz crashed back into the far wall, and his earthen summons fell still. He shouted something as he scampered to his feet—Tsubaki couldn't make it out through her bloodlust. He turned to race down another hallway, but by now, it was too late. Tsubaki vanished in a whisper of wind and appeared right in front of him, sword extended. A stone wall started to rise, but Belioz's last movement was for naught. The blade plunged deep into his chest, its heated laser burning all it touched. And in that moment, all became clear to Tsubaki.

What was justice? This was. Taking the evil that plagued this world, and dragging it to hell for eternal suffering. Who was decide what was good, what was evil? There was no other choice—Tsubaki herself was the only who could. She was pure; she was just. With Izayoi in hand would she judge the sinners of this damned world and cast them into the hellfire. She was justice incarnate. And anyone that defied her and Izayoi would meet eternal damnation. This was what she was meant for.

Belioz staggered back, coughing up blood as more spilled out from the gaping wound in his chest. As he fell to his knees, baton useless out of his reach, he looked up to watch Tsubaki approach. But rather than lift Izayoi to his neck for a clean, swift kill, she pointed it at his torso. Right where he was already wounded. Realization descended upon him, an absolute terror in his final minutes: he wasn't going to receive a quick death, but a torturous one. He opened his mouth to protest, but blood choked out the words…

With a cry, Tsubaki lunged the blade straight at his chest, turning it so as to create second hole crossing the first. But it never connected. A thick slab of metal intercepted it, and Tsubaki recoiled. As she looked up, her world shattered. She was justice; she was righteous. It fell upon her to judge the sinners of this world. To stand against her was to declare oneself an enemy.

So why did Ragna stand in her way, sword in front of Belioz, eyes downcast as though in hiding?

* * *

"Relius Clover…" Mai growled, drawing her spear back to hold it to her side—almost behind her. She sidled her way closer to Relius, trying to get him in her most comfortable range. She glanced back at her friends. "Take Nu and get out of here! This man's too dangerous."

Shaking her head, Kajun stepped back. "I'm sorry, Mai, but we really can't. It would take about half an hour to release and awaken Nu here."

"How fascinating." With utter disregard for the conversation, Relius just watched Mai, stroking his chin. Where anyone else would see a young woman, he saw so much more. "Yes, I remember you now. The girl who was once a man. I should like very much to see how your soul continues to evolve."

"No chance." Mai tensed up to spring at Relius, but before she could, Makoto blew right past her in a blur. She hammered a blow against Relius, pushing him back a full two feet with the impact. However, as she darted in to rain more punches against him, various blades extended from his arms to keep her back. She leapt back to Mai's side, and despite the grim situation, Mai tossed her a grin. "Been a while since we've worked together, eh?"

"It hasn't been that long since Kajun introduced us to Sector Seven, you know." Makoto returned the smile. "Let's show this creep what Team Remix Heart can do!"

"Still way too long. And yeah, let's get him." Mai lifted her spear up at shoulder height like a javelin. Red energy built up all around its tip. "Makoto, if you can keep him occupied, Outseal can land a good hit here. Don't worry, I won't hit you as well. Trust me."

"…Right then!"

Makoto rushed at Relius once more, while the scientist just shook his head. "Do you not learn? Your abilities are worthless before me. Stand down; this is a waste of our time."

"Not gonna happen!" As Ignis lunged in on Makoto, she spiraled to the ground into a spinning strike with her tail. Of course, it did little to a man with such a doll-like skeleton. A jointed claw slashed down from above, forcing Makoto to wheel back. She spun back around in the same motion with powerful straight to the jaw, reeling him backwards. On instinct, she leapt off to the side, just as Ignis tried to catch her with her claws. Having recovered from the punch, Relius drew the chainsaw-like weapon again and slashed. As Makoto ducked toward him, the blade chewed up the side of her shoulder. She grimaced, but came back up between it and Relius with a full-power uppercut to Relius's jaw. As the scientist launched skyward, she ducked back down to cradle her bleeding shoulder. "Worthless, you said? Don't underestimate me!"

"Yeah! Don't mess with us! Outseal, go!" Grinning, Mai hurled her spear. Outseal bolted far faster than it should have, tracing a jet stream of red behind it. It struck Relius square in the chest with a burst of crimson and passed right through his body, before turning and crashing straight down. The polearm impaled Relius and pinned down to the earth. Mai winked and gave a thumbs-up to a nearby rock. "Never misses, by the way. Kajun, finish him!"

"But of course." Kajun popped her head out from behind the rock and chucked a beaker at Relius. It struck him and shattered in a burst of white mist; a moment later, a thin layer of frost covered his entire body. "And some liquid nitrogen for the coup de grâce. A splendid performance, everyone."

"Heheh." Mai grinned and rubbed the back of her head as she recalled Outseal; the spear simply vanished on the spot and reappeared in her hand, while Relius remained frozen in place. "What did you expect? We're not losing to anyone when together!"

"Hmm…" Somehow, despite the ice over and in his body, Relius laughed. Cracks sounded as he straightened up, every movement stiff and excruciating to watch. "I… can't say I expected such… resistance in this incursion. You are quite impressive. But flawed, I'm afraid. Take for example… the grimoire posing as a human. Are not grimoires meant to be used by people?"

"…What are you talking about?" Mai bent her knees into a pose, spear back and ready to strike. "I have a grimoire inside me, yes, but…"

"That is not quite correct. Observe." Relius extended a hand, before murmuring and clenching it into a fist. At once, Mai gasped, and then dropped like a sack to the ground. As Kajun yelped and Makoto paled, Relius smirked, giving a low murmur of a laugh. "As I thought. You are more Nameless Grimoire than human now. Merely another tool to be utilized. I would quite like to extract your grimoire given the chance, although I'm afraid you would not survive the process."

"Mai!" Kajun and Makoto both bolted toward their friend, unmoving but conscious. As Kajun drew near, she tossed a glare Relius's way. "We won't let you—"

Before she could even hope to finish, Ignis appeared behind her. Her drill of an arm lunged and pierced Kajun's abdomen from the back, its point jutting all the way through, out her stomach. As Ignis's claw retracted, she gasped and toppled forward. A trembling hand lifted her potion vials up before her as she coughed up blood. "H-how…?"

"A fatal blow, I'm afraid. I did not wish to slay any here, but you have cost too much of my precious time by now. Makoto Nanaya." With a snap of his fingers, Relius recalled Ignis to his side, eyes on the grief-stricken beastkin. "You are once more alone. And as we've established, you pose no threat to me. Surrender, and I will at least leave the Nameless Grimoire alive."

"N-no… this can't… my friends…" Helpless and small, Makoto glanced back and forth between Mai's unmoving body and Kajun's desperate, shuddering attempts to locate a potion. Tears struck her eyes, and her entire body quivered. But from the terror rose flames, a rage pure and white, setting her very soul alight. Her eyes flashed as she turned to Relius, a visible aura churning about her fists. "How dare… how dare you hurt my friends, you bastard!"

"They should not…" Before Relius could even finish, a ball of blue energy sizzled towards him, a shockwave pressing outward from the speed of it. Ignis hovered forward to take the blow, and crumpled as it struck her. A blur of a punch connected with Relius's chin a moment later, staggering him backwards.

"Don't you…" Twin punches rained down from above Relius, Makoto placing all her power into them to drive him to the ground. "Ever!" A hook to the face sent Relius sprawling to the side. As he woozily rose to his feet, Makoto chased after him. "Screw with us!" A straight to his gut spun him around, and an even heavier punch to his back followed. He bent back, too far for any normal spine to take. An uppercut launched him sky high, and Makoto leapt after him, fist reared back and a gargantuan hand of brilliant aura poised to hammer him as well. "AGAIN!"

The blow shot Relius into the earth, cratering the ground around him. As Makoto landed, she glanced straight over to Mai and Kajun. The former still had not moved a muscle, no matter how she fought. Kajun, on the other hand, had risen to her knees, now holding an emptied vial. As far as Makoto could tell, the gaping wound in her gut had been healed, almost certainly from some regenerative concoction in her arsenal. Makoto snarled and wheeled around to Relius. "Well. You gonna get up so I can kick your ass some more? You're not walking away from this after what you did."

"Indeed, I am not. It would seem that my spine has been broken, and as such, my legs no matter function. But do not believe yourself the victor yet. Ignis, to me. Summa Creata." On command, Ignis appeared at his side. At once, her limbs and torso all split apart and opened. As he sat up and lifted as arms, she drifted closer. Her arms fitted themselves around his and closed, before she rose higher into the air, letting Relius dangle limp. Her torso extended multiple mechanical ribs to enclose his chest, while her legs enveloped his and shut. Ignis's head turned upwards behind his, Relius smirked down at Makoto's shocked stare. "I anticipated that something could happen to my body, in spite of all of my attempts to transcend humanity. Thus, I saw fit to build this emergency configuration into Ignis. With her connected to me, I can continue to battle, troublesome though it is. Your soul will be mine, Nanaya."

"What… what the actual hell. Seriously." Makoto ground her teeth and lifted her fists back into a ready position. "I'm getting so sick of your bullshit already! Why don't you stay down this time?"

"I am afraid that I'm far beyond the level of a mere rodent." Still hovering in the air, Relius darted forward and slashed with Ignis's claws. "Summa Creata may remove my numbers advantage, but I believe you'll find it still quite formidable."

"Grk!" Makoto blocked the chop the best she could; her wounded shoulder flared in pain as though demanding her to not use it anymore. She stepped in to try and deliver a punch, but yelped as a taloned foot came around. She dropped back, although the kick still lined a cut across her stomach. "Geez, what gives here…?"

"Cease this futile resistance." Blades whirred at either of Relius's hands, and he slashed at her. Although the motion was slow from the lank of his arms, Makoto still found herself having to dodge out of the way from their deadly saws. Relius smirked as she rolled underneath him. "Your performance ends here."

The talons of Ignis's feet launched out from the legs, clamping at her arms and pinning her face down in the mud. With a victorious laugh, Relius swiveled around and floated down to perch over her trapped body. He extended a hand to her head. "Now. Let me see your glorious soul."

Makoto ground her teeth as she turned back to glare at him. Was this it? Was this really the end? It couldn't possibly be. But… "Dammit… It doesn't matter how perfect you are, or what Izanami's done to you. You won't win." She grinned, desperate and feral, pure rebellion in her face. "Tsubaki and Noel will avenge me. That, I can take comfort in."

"Perfect, you say?" Relius scowled, and his hand clenched her head. "How dare you say such a thing? Calling me such is an insult to the perfection I seek. One such as I could never attain such a thing. My soul is too weak. So instead I will create that which is perfect, and craft my own world through it. Your contribution to this venture is appreciated."

With a low muttering, he chanted. His hand glowed blue, and he shifted it over to rest atop Makoto's head. A moment later, the beastkin stiffened up, the light in her eyes fading. Relius pulled his hand back, and with it came a blue orb the size of a softball, bright enough to burn away all shadows in the area. He smiled. "So this is a truly powerful soul. How marvelous. With this, Alpha shall be awakened."

Makoto's soul in his grasp, Relius hovered off into the distance. A minute later, Mai stirred, no longer bound by whatever Ars the scientist had weaved to nullify her. And at once, she pounded a fist against the ground, spraying mud. "Makoto! Kajun!"

Using Outseal as support, she jumped to her feet and bolted over to Kajun, long since passed out from blood loss. A quick check of the girl's pulse sent a shock of relief through Mai—her friend had survived the impaling. But now was not the time to relax. She raced as fast as she could to where Makoto lay. "Makoto, please tell me…"

But although the beastkin's heart still beat, no life flickered in her eyes. No movement, not even the twitch of her tail or perking of her ears, answered Mai's cry. As Mai collapsed to her knees, a stream of tears breaching forth, she could see no other explanation. Although Makoto's body still lived, no living soul existed in the shell. For all intents and purposes, Makoto Nanaya was dead.


End file.
